


Through Time and Fading Memory

by MidnightStarShip, swingrlm



Category: The Shannara Chronicles (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Time Travel, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2019-10-03 18:01:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 56,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17288765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightStarShip/pseuds/MidnightStarShip, https://archiveofourown.org/users/swingrlm/pseuds/swingrlm
Summary: Allanon faces off with his long time enemy, the Warlock Lord, knowing in his heart that he won't survive this stand off. Memories of his past come unbidden into his mind. He can't help but remember the many times that he's stood against evil, but he also remembers the times he spent with the woman that he loved.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This story is based on the TV show, not the books.

Deep beneath the Enclave, the fight for the four lands had begun.The Mord Wraiths had found them.

Allanon hurried down the stairs in search of Wil and Mareth, when he came upon a streak of blood. Following the red stain, he came upon the body of the young boy he had been talking to earlier that day.  

Allanon turned away from the sight of the dead boy. It was clear that the Warlock Lord hadn’t changed much. The murdering of innocents, simply because he could, was a trait that he’d always carried. Allanon turned the corner and there he was. He found himself looking back at his own face, though it had been perverted with marks and piercings, but the most disturbing thing was those dark, soulless eyes. He’d never forget those eyes.

“Hello.... my old friend.” The Warlock Lord hissed, and though the voice wasn’t his, the tone was all too familiar. He could hear the sarcasm dripping off each of his words.  “Your blood brought me back, Druid.”

“Nothing can disguise the blackness of your soul.” Allanon responded. The Warlock Lord seemed to think the fact that his blood had brought him back was some sort of justice. He knew the man had always blamed him for destroying his plans.

The Warlock Lord smiled slowly, in the way that was so familiar to Allanon. He tilted his head to the side looking him up and down. “You are weak, like your pupil.”  
  
Allanon recalled Bandon’s body lying in the center of Graymark, and he recalled the young elf full of life, eager to get his visions under control. With that memory came the one of Bandon breaking under the pressure. He’d watched it happen and it had been his fault. He’d left Bandon open for the influence of the Warlock Lord’s sword. Perhaps it was some sort of poetic justice that he now had his face. “You will pay for what you did to Bandon.”

The Warlock Lord seemed more or less amused at his words. “You cannot defeat me... Allanon.”

Cogline came around the corner,  the look of surprise that flashed across his face at the sight of the Warlock Lord vanished as quickly as it appeared. “Perhaps not alone. You’ve always underestimated the importance of allies.”

“Alliances are for those who are too weak to empower themselves.” The other pointed out. It was something that he had always believed. The Warlock Lord never allied himself with anyone, unless he was using them.

Cogline lowered his voice and spoke to Allanon. “Every second we waste, Lyria is in danger.”

“Their fate is in Wil’s hands now. We have our own war to fight.” Allanon answered calmly. They would all have to depend on Wil now. He was the only hope of defeating the Warlock Lord. All he could do was slow the man down. His magic was fading, and the Warlock Lord was at full power. The two of them had been evenly matched before and Allanon had barely made it out alive. This time, he knew there would be no walking away. He had come to face the Warlock Lord knowing full well that he was facing his death. What he hadn’t counted on was all the feelings that had been stirred up inside him.

He’d heard that when a man faced death that his entire life would flash before his eyes, and he could see it now. A life of solitude and loneliness. There were flashes of warmth as the faces of people he had cared about came to mind. It was these people that had made life worth living, that had made him feel like everything that he had suffered had been worth it. It was for them that he’d fought battles and bled for this world, and it was for them that he would proudly lay down his life. Allanon pulled his sword from his belt and activated the steel blade stepping forward to meet the Warlock Lord in battle.

* * *

 

_Many Years Earlier_

~~~~Pyria leaned against the sill of her window and gazed down at the town below. Arborlon was always a quiet place, peaceful, or perhaps boring if you looked at that way. She enjoyed peace, but today it was simply another day in her life where nothing was happening. She pushed the window open and tapped her fingers on the glass, wondering what it would take to convince her brother to allow her to at least travel to another elvin stronghold.

Sighing to herself, she looked up at the birds silhouetted in the sky. She supposed most would regard her as a spoiled princess, daring to complain about her lot in life, but she couldn’t help but wish she could have some sort of adventure. She wanted to see the distant mountains, the small towns, and feel the ocean water running over her feet.

A gentle knock on the door pulled her away from her thoughts and she turned to see her handmaid, Ashala, at the door. “My lady, your brother, the King has returned.”

Pyria pulled the window shut and rushed up to her maid, excitement glinting in her eyes. “Has he brought the Druid with him?”

The handmaid giggled into her hand. “According to the General, he has.”

Pyria gave her friend a knowing smile. It was no secret that Ashala was sweet on General Edensong. “Very good, let’s go down and see what this famed Druid looks like.” She linked her arm with Ashala as they made their way down the stairs. “I’ll bet he is an old man with a limp.” She announced brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.

“The Druids have been around since the beginning of time, I’ll bet he’s covered in wrinkles.” Ashala joined in on the joke as they swept down the palace halls and reached the throne room, still giggling quietly to one another.

Eventine caught sight of the two girls, beckoning them forward. “Allanon, this is my younger sister, Pyria Elessedil. Pyria, meet the Druid Allanon.”

The man had his back to her, but already, the Druid didn’t fit the description she had in her mind. He was much taller than she’d thought he would be and his shoulders were broader. Her eyes swept up his robe and over the runes carved into his skin. Allanon turned to face her, and she looked into to his gentle, dark eyes and felt her heart flutter in her chest.

Pyria released Ashala’s arm and stepped forward. “Nice to finally meet you, Allanon.” She spoke firmly, attempting to hide the blush that stood out on her light skin.

He glanced at Eventine and then looked back to her, a small smile on his lips. “It is nice to meet you too, princess.” He gave her a short bow as was appropriate to her station. “The King was just about to show me to Arborlon’s library.”

“I could take you.” Pyria quickly spoke up. She wasn’t about to let the dark stranger get away from her. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him. “I’ve spent more time there than my brother, so perhaps I can help you find what you are looking for.”

Allanon looked hesitant, but Eventine seemed satisfied with the idea. “Could you? My wife is waiting for me, and I’d like to get back to her.” He rubbed the Druid’s shoulder as he passed by. “You’ll be in good hands.”

Pyria turned to Ashala. “I’ll catch up with you later.” She saw the teasing smile on her friend’s face as she turned to leave. She turned on her heel back to the Druid. “Shall we continue to the library?”

“Of course, lead the way, princess.” Allanon didn’t move from his spot until she started walking and fell in step just off her right shoulder.

She had a feeling the man knew exactly where the library was, but he was probably being polite. His politeness seemed to end there as he made no attempts to start small talk, but left an awkward silence grow between them. “So, how long have you been a Druid?”

“Since before you were born.” He responded and made no move to elaborate on his statement.

She glanced over her shoulder at him and wondered how old he was. He looked so much younger than she’d pictured. He sensed her eyes on him and looked back to her and she quickly turned away. “Here is the library.”

Pyria pushed open the doors of the large library and watched his reaction. He didn’t seem surprised by what they had to offer, which confirmed her suspicions that he’d been here before. “What are you looking for?”

“An old protection spell.” Allanon answered, walking up to the first set of shelves and trailing his hand over the spines of the books. “It would appear that you’ve reorganized the room.” He looked back to her with an expectant expression on his face.

“Um, of course.” She flipped her dark brown braid back over her shoulder and quickly led him to the far side of the room. “These are all the books that have magic. We keep them in the back, since they aren’t used that often. I can’t even read half of them.” Most of the text was written in Druid. She’d attempted to learn it, but it was impossible without some form of instruction.

Allanon turned his attention to the books, whispering to himself as he read the titles. He knelt down to look at the ones on the lower shelf, giving her a clear view of the runes carved into his skin.

She’d seen some of the runes in the books she’d flipped through, and wondered what they meant. “Did they hurt?” She asked him.

Allanon looked up, but he wasn’t confused. It was as if he could read her mind and knew exactly what she’d meant. “Yes.” He smiled at her flustered expression. “You should go find your friend. I will be fine from here.” He dismissed her so easily as he selected a book and carried it to the table.

Pyria placed her hands on her hips feeling flustered and upset. “I said that I would help you find what you’re looking for and I meant it.” She marched up to the Druid giving him her most determined look. “Now tell me how I can help you.”

Allanon looked up from his open book with a look of patience. “Princess, I don’t know what tales of adventures you hope to learn from me, but you will be disappointed. There is no way to romanticize the things that I’ve seen.”

Pyria felt her face burning in embarrassment at his words. Everything that he said made her want to do exactly what he’d suggested and seek out Ashala for company. But he had underestimated her will power. She crossed her arms and raised her chin in defiance. “If you don’t need help now, perhaps you will later.” Crossing the room to another shelf, she selected a book on healing from the top shelf. “I shall be right over here if you need me.” She sat down at the table across from him, smoothing down the wrinkles in her dress and trying to appear dignified.

She waited for some sort of protest, but all she heard was him laugh quietly under his breath. Silence stretched out between them, and focusing on the words in front of her was nearly impossible. Sneaking a quick glance up at the man across from her, she was almost disappointed that he seemed to have no trouble focusing on his dusty old tome.

 

* * *

 

Allanon placed another book down on the table in front of him. The stack of tomes was growing beside him, but the spell he needed wasn’t in any of the books he’d searched through. He rubbed his eyes trying to focus himself, but the runes on the pages were all starting to blur together. He had been researching in the library for several days now, and every day Pyria joined him, sitting at the table across from him.

At first, he’d been bothered by sensing her constant thoughts about whether he’d acknowledge her in some way or ask her to help, but he’d gotten used to her being around. It was what made today rather strange. The table across from him sat empty and he could only assume that she’d grown bored of watching him endlessly page through old books.

He rested his chin on his hands and just closed his eyes for a few minutes. He’d been working at this with barely any rest and only short pauses to eat some food that he had in his pack. He hadn’t seen much of anyone, save Pyria during this time. Eventine invited him to dinner last night, but he’d declined. Paranor held the Codex sealed within its walls. He needed to ensure that the old druid keep was protected against those that would steal the book.

Paranor. He sighed heavily to himself. In his mind’s eye he could see the old keep, alive with activity. Druid masters training young magic users, visitors coming to them in need of help or shelter, and of course his master standing at the council table. He could recall the halls he’d once walked down as a boy. They weren’t splendid like castle walls, but he’d always been entranced by the runes that scrolled down the pillars.

But like most things in life, the memory faded to ash. Paranor was simply a shell of what it was. A tomb for the Druid order. He could recall the battle that took place and the sounds of his brothers and sisters dying around him. He never imagined they could lose, but lose they did. They were wiped from the face of the earth, like a message carved into the beach sand was removed with the incoming tide.

“Allanon?”

Allanon jumped a little and his eyes flew open. He looked up and saw Pyria standing at the side of the table. He didn’t need to read her mind to see that she was trying very hard not to laugh. He sat back in his chair and tried to figure out how long he’d been daydreaming.

“Well Master Druid, looks like I’ve arrived just in time.” Pyria pushed the book in front of him to the side and placed a plate of food in front of him, complete with a steaming cup of tea.

He didn’t realize how hungry he was until he smelled the food sitting in front of him. “Thank you, princess.” He felt her irritation before she vocalized it.

“I have a name you know. It’s Pyria in case you forgot.” Her hands found her hips again, as seemed to be her favored position.

“My apologies, Princess Pyria.” Watching her roll her eyes, he couldn’t help but smile in spite of himself at how riled she was about his use of her proper title.

“Now you’re just teasing me.” She took a seat on the chair across from him, watching him take a bite of his food. Her head tilted to the side as she glanced at the book next to him.

“You are still wondering how you can help me.” Allanon watched the young elf jump and glare at him. He found her to be more amusing than annoying like he had first thought.

“Would it be so bad if I helped you?” She asked, crossing her arms. “Clearly, you need all the help you can get.”

He wasn’t sure if he would have phrased it that way, but perhaps he was being stubborn. The few days he’d spent with her had revealed that she may be a young girl at heart, but she was clever and well-read in many fields. “I’m looking for books that contain this rune on the cover.” He pointed to one of the runes on the open page.

Pyria leaned closer to get a good look at the rune. “What does it mean?”

She certainly was infinitely curious. “It means protection.” He told her. “And this one next to it refers to an object or place. I need to find a protection spell for an old keep. This is a combination of runes that would be part of the spell.”

She nodded along with what he was saying, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she memorized the runes. “Alright, you just enjoy your meal then, while I go find your book.” She bounced up from the table and made her way to the bookshelves.

He watched her bound away and turned back to his food, shaking his head at the amount of energy she possessed. By the time he’d cleaned his plate she had stacked five books on the edge of the counter, and by the time he looked through one of the books the pile had grown considerably. “Princess.”

Pyria froze in mid step to cast him a disapproving look. “Pyria you mean.” She placed the two books she was carrying on top of the stack of tomes.

Allanon understood the sentiment of people with titles that preferred to go by their first names, but it was inappropriate for a Druid to be in such good favor with a royal. “You were right, this task might be best served if there are two searching.”

She looked pleased with herself. “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses.”

“It would help me greatly if you could read Druid runes.” Allanon watched her eyes light up, she was hoping that he was about to offer her the chance to learn something new. “I can give a brief lesson if you are willing to learn.”

Before he could blink, she’d settled herself down in the chair next to him. “Of course I’m willing.” Her voice laced with excitement.

Pyria was fast a learner and giving her a basic lesson in druid runes didn’t take very long. It would take her years of studying to be able to read fluently, but it was enough for now. The two had divided the books between them and started going through them.

Allanon wasn’t sure how many hours slipped by, but at some point he lit candles for the two of them. They passed the books back and forth and he answered questions she had about the runes she was looking over. He pushed the book he was looking at aside and reached for another only to find that the pile of books had disappeared. “We need to get more books.” He got to his feet and paused when she didn’t answer him. “Pyria.”

It slipped out so naturally that he realized he had dropped her proper title several hours ago. It wasn’t professional, but he viewed the young elf as a friend. It was a mistake to think that way. It allowed him to grow closer to someone that he’d just end up losing. He knew the spell he was seeking would cost him too much, and he would have to replenish his magic by going into a Druid sleep. He didn’t know when he’d wake up, but he did know that she wouldn’t be the same person.

He looked down at the girl, her arms folded over the tome in front of her, cradling her head. He didn’t know when she’d nodded off, but he knew that it was late. “Perhaps we should take rest for the night.” He smiled to himself, he had to admire her dedication. She would certainly make a great leader one day.

He blew out the candles and carefully lifted Pyria into his arms. She was so light, that it was like cradling a small bird in his hands. She buried her face into his bicep as he carefully moved toward the door, trying his best not to wake her.

Allanon pushed the door to her room open and slipped inside. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t the amount of foreign trinkets that were hung around the room. He had sensed that she had a spirit of adventure, he just didn’t know how deep it ran. In her position it could either be blessing or curse.

He gently laid her down on her bed and her eyes fluttered open. The hazel eyes looked up at him in confusion. “Allanon?”

“You fell asleep.” He told her softly.

“I did?” She rubbed her forehead and looked around. “Where am I?”

“In your room.” Allanon picked up the folded blanket at the end of her bed and pulled it over her. “We are done searching for the night. Rest.”

She nodded tiredly and closed her eyes with a tired sigh.

Allanon made his way back to the door and glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping princess. She looked so peaceful right now. He hoped that in her life she would only know peace.

* * *

 

Pyria sat in her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest. She could barely keep the smile off her face. What happened last night was running through her mind on repeat. It was almost like a dream, but she could remember every detail. She hugged herself, still feeling the strong arms around her.

He had been so gentle that she’d almost slept through it, but she was glad that she’d woken up when he’d opened the door to her room. For a moment she’d been so close to him that she could look up into those dark brown eyes. They were so kind, but at the same time, they seemed so sad. Lonely. She wondered if he was lonely or if perhaps she was only imaging it.

She sprang from her bed with a giggle of delight. She wasn’t sure how she could possibly act normal when she met with him in the library today. She was practically floating as she raced down the stairs. A few twists and turns and she was right in front of the library doors. She reached out to open it, when it swung open and she was face to face with the Druid. “Oh!” She jumped back, feeling as if she was blushing from head to foot.

Allanon looked surprised by her as well. He also looked sad. She was certain that she wasn’t making it up this time. She spotted a book tucked under his arm. “Did you find what you were looking for?” She asked, unsure whether she should be excited or not.

“Yes.” He responded, and his tone sounded as distant as it did the first day he met her. He moved past her making his way down the hall.

“That's a good thing, right?” Pyria had to jog to catch up with him. “Allanon, is something wrong?”

“No.” Allanon stopped and looked down at her. Pyria knew at once that she hadn’t been seeing things. The loneliness that reflected in his eyes broke her heart. “Thank you for all your help, Princess, but I have to go.”

“Wait, you’re leaving?” She was shocked at his words. The last few days had been so good, and now he was just leaving. “At least stay for breakfast.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t stay.” He looked at her as if he was seeing her for the last time and then moved away. “Apologize to your brother for me.” He called back to her and paused at the great door. “Goodbye, Pyria.”

“Safe travels until I see you again.” She called to him. For a moment his silhouette was in the doorway and then he was gone. She took a deep breath trying not to feel hurt. She knew what he was doing was important. The spell was one of protection, protection for something important. She rested a hand over her heart and blinked back the tears in her eyes. He would return once he was done, she was sure of it. “I will see him again.” She promised herself quietly.

* * *

 

Most people might feel a sense of accomplishment after completing a difficult task, but then again, most people weren’t magic users. Allanon was on his knees looking up at Paranor, the great Druid Keep. To the naked eye nothing had changed, but the entire fortress was now cloaked in a spell to repel the forces of evil.

He tried to draw in a breath but it was more like a ragged gasp that wracked his whole body. The runes that had been carved into his skin were supposed to help him channel magic and minimize physical damage, but it didn’t make a difference when you performed a spell this powerful. Allanon looked at the book laying on the ground in front of him and reached for it. Just the attempt at moving his fingers set searing, daggers of pain lacing up his arm,  turning his vision bright white. He collapsed forward on top of the book and lay there in the sand. The last of his energy had been used when casting the spell and he’d felt the magic burning away his skin, but he’d pushed through the pain. Now he was worried to remove his clothing and see the damage, but he knew eventually he'd have to. Once he reached the Druid table, he would have to rest the healing rune carved into his back on the table. Clothing would interrupt the connection, and the process to heal would take far longer.

His eyes drifted shut. He needed to rest, to shut out the pain for just a few moments. He knew if he rested now there was a chance he wouldn’t wake up. His hand was laying stretched out in front of him and he tried to tuck his arm under him to help push himself up, but just bending his elbow made him feel like his skin cracked open. “Just a little rest.” He whispered into the dust.

When Allanon woke, the sun was hot on his back. He wasn’t sure if it was a few hours later or days, but if he’d thought that he’d feel better, he was gravely mistaken. His entire body felt stiff and just breathing made him feel like his lungs were bursting. He’d been burned by magic use before, but this time it felt like even his insides had been lit on fire.

Allanon pushed his knee up under him and managed to roll onto his back. “Ugh.” He winced as his back touched the ground. Trying to pull in enough air to whistle, but the only sound that escaped his lips was a whimper. He realized that he’d made a mistake coming here alone. He should have had the foresight to take someone with him.

He sensed the familiar tingle of panic in the back of his mind, it was causing his heart rate to increase. He needed to control the urge to panic and channel it into something useful. He licked his parched lips and attempted to whistle again. He managed to produce a weak, strangled sounding whistle and just hoped that his horse hadn’t wandered off.

He felt the horse nuzzle the top of his head and let out a sigh of relief. Now the real struggle began. He leaned his head back until he could see the stirrup of the saddle, all he had to do right now was grab that stirrup. _Just reach it,_  he chanted in his mind.  Lifting his arm slowly, he ignored the way his skin stuck to the inside of his sleeve, the movement causing his skin to pull. _Just reach it._ His hand landed on the edge of the stirrup and he curled his fingers around it. He could feel the skin of his fingers tearing free from the inside of the glove and it took everything in his power not to scream and spook his horse.

Allanon tried to control his ragged breathing as he waited for the pain in his arm and hand to fade from screaming pain to an intense throb. Figuring it was as good as he could expect, he knew it was time to move again. _One hand over the other._ He locked his jaw together and reached his left hand over his right, grabbing onto the side of the saddle. The pain was so intense he was afraid he’d loose grip on the saddle, so without waiting, he pulled upwards, tucking his legs beneath him and pulled himself to his feet.

His vision dissolved into black spots and he clung to the saddle as tightly as he could. His jaw was so firmly clamped together that he wondered if his teeth would just simply crack from the pressure. He reached over the saddle and pulled himself up onto his horse. He knew he was just moments away from passing out so he had to work quickly. His fingers fumbled with the buckle on his belt and finally at the third try he freed it. He loosened it just enough to slide it through the front of the saddle, lashing himself to the horse. He slumped down against the horse’s neck and let himself fall into the blackness that was calling him.

Biting pain woke Allanon. He was partially slumped off the side of his horse and the belt was cutting into his side. He opened his eyes just enough to see that they’d come to a halt at the entrance of a cave. Relief flooded his mind, it was a cool reassurance that soon this would be over. He didn’t bother attempting to untie the belt. He freed his Druid sword and activated the blade, letting it cut through the leather.

He fell heavily on his shoulder and cried out in pain, unable to stop himself this time. His horse bolted a few steps from him, snorting in fear at the sound of his cry combined with the smell of blood. “Thank you.” He muttered under his breath to the beast that had managed to carry him this far.

He struggled to his feet, the hope of release from the pain was the only thing that kept him moving. He stumbled into the cave and his eyes rested on the Druid table. _Almost there._  He looked down at the dust covered clothes he wore and tried not to imagine what his skin looked like underneath.

Allanon had faced many evils, but right now the fear of removing a single glove from his own hand seemed overwhelming. He took hold of the back of the glove on his right hand and ripped it off. The pain was immediate. It was so bad that he forgot how to scream, or even to breathe. He didn’t know how much skin had left his hand with the glove, but he could feel the blood dripping down off the tips of his fingers.

His breath punched back into his lungs and he found himself gasping and wheezing. His stomach turned over and he found himself clinging to the Druid table as he heaved up whatever was left in his stomach. He let the tears stream down his face and looked down at the other glove. He wasn’t sure how he was going to manage this.

 _One piece at a time._ He told himself. He lifted his left hand to his mouth and bit down on the tip of the glove’s middle finger. He decided to attempt a slower removal and gently slipped the glove off. Once or twice he nearly gave up, but eventually he succeeded. His left hand had sustained less damage so he used it to loosen his tunic. He slowly rolled his shoulders back until it slipped down his arms. He heard the skin on his back and shoulder ripping before he felt the pain.

Allanon had been whipped before, the feeling of a single cord of rope or leather ripping into your skin had been something he’d never wanted to experience again, but this was far worse. It was as if someone had whipped him with a heat, tempered chain. The temptation to fall to his knees was immense, but he knew that if he did, this time he wouldn't get up again.

His hand shook and the cave echoed with his gasp and whimpers of pain, but piece by piece he pulled his clothing off. Once all his outer wear was piled around the table in a blood soaked mess, he was finally able to pull himself up onto the stone. He reached down and caught the hilt of his sword in his left hand. The sword was the last connection he had to the Druid order and he wasn't about to risk it being lost.

The stone was cold, but not in an unpleasant way. It was cool and inviting against his burning skin. He slowly lay down on the table feeling the Druid sleep pulling him in. He felt almost glad for all the pain it had taken just to get this far. At least this way he wouldn’t be shrouded with regret that he didn’t get to spend more time with the people that he called friends.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pyria and Eventine race to find Allanon and warn him that the Warlock Lord has returned, before he discovers Allanon’s location and destroys the last Druid......

_Present Time_

Steel sparked against steel as the Warlock Lord and Allanon battled for the four lands. Allanon could feel the power behind the other man’s sword and he knew that it wasn’t because the Warlock Lord was stronger, it was because he was weaker. He blocked the sword and was dealt with a blow across the face, dropping him to his knees.

“Get up.” The Warlock Lord hissed. The dark Druid always liked a good fight, and especially loved to see his victim struggling to survive. It was a sick delight that Allanon had become accustomed to experiencing when it came to the fallen Druid.

Allanon wasn’t about to give him exactly what he wanted. If he wanted a fight he would get it, but he would not be so easily defeated. He got to his feet and continued on. The Warlock Lord might be stronger, but his technique with a sword wasn’t as good as his. He tried to avoid prolonged contact, but soon their blades crossed and he was being forced down again. He refused to give up this easily and pushed back, struggling under the strength of the Warlock Lord.

He saw a glint in the other man’s eye and knew what was coming only a few moments before the dark magic connected with the center of his chest. He was flung backwards across the ground, trying to catch his breath from the impact. He could see Cogline move forward to engage the foe, and took this moment to attempt to recuperate.

He summoned what magic he could spare to heal himself just enough to fight again. He winced as another bright flash of red light lit up the space. Cogline was flung back from the fight and lay in a crumpled heap. The time for resting was over.

Allanon looked away from Cogline. He’d been injured by the Warlock Lord’s dark magic, but luckily he was still alive. He watched as the dark man stepped from the smoke. It looked like Cogline had managed to injure him, but not nearly enough. He braced himself to fight when he heard his name called.

“Father!” Mareth appeared at the foot of the stairs, her eyes widened in fear at the sight of the man across from him.

Allanon looked at his daughter. She was afraid, but like her mother she refused to let that fear control her. She didn’t turn and run, and he wished that she would. “Get out of here!” He shouted to her. He’d lost so much in his life, that he couldn't watch her be destroyed. He was destined to die here, but that did not mean she had to sacrifice herself here as well.

He heard the sound of metal scrapping against concrete and turned just in time to see the Warlock Lord send an old car directly at him. The box of old twisted steel struck him, slamming him back against the wall. The back of his head struck the wall and the world swirled into familiar blackness. This wasn’t the first time the Warlock Lord had tossed him against a wall……

* * *

 

_Many Years Ago_

Pyria sat next to Ashala on the top step of the throne room. “I don’t see a reason to be stressed about it, Eventine.” She smiled up at her brother who was wringing his hands. “It’s just another gathering.”

She laughed at the way Eventine got so flustered over celebration planning. He was strict and organized, perfect qualities for a leader, but not perfect for celebration planning. “We do this every time we get a new batch of the chosen, just do as we did last time.”

Eventine looked down from his throne at the two women. “I really should just put you in charge of all of these things.” He sighed. “You have a much better taste when it comes to having fun and decorating.”

“You’ll get no arguments from me.” Pyria shook her head with a laugh, looking up as two young children raced into the room. Crispin and Ander seemed to be playing some sort of game that involved Ander chasing the other boy with a stick.

“Ander!” Eventine frowned at his youngest. “What did we say about running inside the throne room?”

Ander and Crispin skidded to a halt and glanced at each other. “Sorry, father.” The little curly haired boy mumbled.

Ashala cleared her throat and looked pointedly at her own son. “Crispin.”

“Sorry, King Elessedil” The other boy stuttered over the words.

Eventine couldn’t hold back his own smile regardless of how stern he attempted to look. “I accept your apology. Now don’t do it again.”

Pyria looked up as the doors swung open again and General Edensong walked in. “Papa!” the boy playing with her nephew raced into the arms of his father. She felt a warm feeling of happiness spreading in her chest as the general lifted his son into his arms.

She glanced at Ashala as she too got up to greet her husband. The General had been out at the border checking in with the guards for a few weeks and now the family celebrated being together again. It was almost bitter sweet witnessing the reunion. The years had gone by and everyone around her changed, but she felt trapped in the same place.

When Allanon had disappeared Ashala had assured her that she’d find someone new, but she hadn’t met anyone that made her feel the same way. She didn’t think she was still hung up on the mysterious man that had disappeared with almost no goodbye, but she’d never been interested in finding someone else. She almost felt guilty watching Ashala with her family, feeling a sense of envy. It must be nice to have someone to share a bed with, and to raise a family with. She forced a smile so that Eventine didn’t notice. The last thing she needed was another conversation with her brother about her lack of a spouse.

“What is the word from the border, General?” Eventine asked him, clearly pleased to be off the subject of the celebration.

General Edensong pulled himself away from his family handing his son back to his wife. “It’s strange tidings, my King.” He approached the throne with a look of grave concern on his face.

Eventine frowned. “How so?”

“There are creatures of smoke and shadow moving about.” The General noted his king’s brow furrow. “I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t seen one myself, they have been harassing the guards and random citizens.”

By harassing, Pyria assumed that he meant they’d left bodies in their wake. She’d spent enough time with her brother to read between the lines when they spoke in code to avoid any sense of panic leaking out to the people.

Eventine rubbed his beard slowly. “Why now? Do we know what they are, or why they are... harassing people?”

“I heard they are hosting interrogations. They are able to speak apparently.” The General seemed to be rather shaken, which was surprising and troubling. “They are asking for the whereabouts of the Druid.”

Pyria felt her breath turn to ice in her throat. Shadow creatures that were looking for Allanon and leaving bodies in their wake, this was worse than simply strange. She slowly glanced at her brother and she could tell he was just as concerned.

“We need to warn the Druid.” Eventine was on his feet. “He should know that some dark force is searching for him, and perhaps he can explain exactly what it is.”

“Easier said than done.” General Edensong pointed out. “No one has heard from the Druid in years.”

“I know where he is.” Pyria announced. The room grew silent as the two elves turned to her. “A year after the Druid left us, I was curious as to why he didn’t return.” She saw the look in her brother’s eyes. He knew that she’d fancied the man when she was younger. She rose to her feet deliberately looking away from her brother. “He taught me how to read some of the Druid text, and I believe I know where he is.”

She could pretend that his running off the way he did didn’t hurt her, but it wasn’t true. He knew that if he cast the spell that he’d have to go into a Druid Sleep to recover, but he hadn’t told her. She had considered him her friend and thought that he had at least owed her the truth when it came to that, but clearly he hadn’t felt the same way.

“Alright.” Eventine slowly sighed. “Let me know the location. I’ll ride out with the General personally and warn him.”

“It may not be that simple.” Pyria carefully crossed her arms watching her brother. He knew nothing about the ways of the Druids. Allanon would not be awake, and waking him up could be impossible. “We might need to protect him, not warn him.”

She could see the skepticism on his face. “Allanon had to go into a hibernative state to recover from the spell he used to protect Paranor.” She could see more confusion on her brother’s face, and knew explaining this to him would take too long. “Time is wasting. I know more about the situation than you do. I’ll ride with you.”

“Pyria….” Her brother attempted to protest, but she held her hand up to him.

“Don’t argue. I have decided.” She told him firmly. “You know that you need me on this quest, don’t be foolish.”

Eventine looked as if he wanted to protest, but it was clear that he was thinking it over. “You’re right, Pyria. We leave in within the hour.”

Pyria smiled pleasantly at her brother, glad that he’d come to his senses. She made her way to her room to get ready feeling a strange sense of nervousness tickling about in her chest. What would it be like to see Allanon again? She wondered if it would feel the same as before, but she doubted it. He would be asleep, and as much as she wanted to wake him she knew that she probably wouldn’t be able to.

* * *

 

_It was the same nightmare. He was standing in the middle of a hall overflowing with celebration and festivities. People from every race moved around him, bowing to him as they passed. He was in control of every last one of them. His slim fingers brushed over the steel crown that he wore. He was king of all the Four Lands and there was no one left to defy him. The great doors at the end of the hall blew open with enough force to break the wood into pieces. He felt the chill of fear plunge into his heart like a cold blade. He wanted to flee or defend himself, but he could never change the course of the dream. The shadow appeared. The Druid._

_He pulled his sword free of its sheath and heard the all too familiar answering sound of the druid blade unfolding. The metal clicking together was something that haunted him even when he was awake._

_He created a shield of magic to defend himself, but the Druid simply walked through the barrier as if it were made of dust. "Curse you!" He screamed as the blade arched up slicing down through his shoulder and into his chest._

_"I am the last of the Druids, and I will destroy you." The voice thundered in his ears as the blade turned to fire in his chest. He could feel his body being slowly torn apart._

Brona, the Warlock Lord, bolted awake. He pulled himself into a sitting position feeling the shortness of breath and cold sweat racing down his back that he’d become accustomed to. It was always the same dream that pulled him from his sleep, instilling a deep sense of fear. He didn’t like the feeling. It was a weakness, and it left a bitter taste at the back of his tongue.

He rubbed the palm of his hand across his forehead, brushing away the sweat that had collected there. He knew better than to consider this a dream. It was a vision. A vision of his destruction. This remaining Druid was the last thing on this earth that could destroy him. Others had tried before, they had destroyed his body, but he had survived. He’d spent years upon years recovering in a tiny shack at the edge of the Wilderun, and he refused to have it be for naught.

He pulled himself off the bed and made his way across the rickety little building. It was one room and he could smell the mold on the walls. He refused to live this way much longer, but he also refused to accept death. He pushed the door open and stepped into the sunlight. He could feel the heat of the sun on his bare skin and for a moment he just enjoyed the feeling. It had taken years for him to even get close enough to a point where he could walk, let alone feel the sun on his face. It was a feeling he didn’t take for granted.

He opened his eyes and scanned the horizon. When the visions had first started coming to him he’d been unable to speak, but once his tongue was loosed he’d sent his Skull Bearers out to find the Druid. They had been searching for some months now, but none had returned for a report. Wisdom bade him to remain hidden from the world, but impatience demanded action.

He made his way back into the shack and pulled on his old clothes. They were slightly tattered, but appearances didn’t mean a thing to him. They would serve to protect him on his journey. The Skull Bearers were decent helpers, but their ability to reason was limited. They were searching for the man in the flesh, but for some reason the Druid wasn’t at Paranor, so they spiraled outwards.

Moving away from Paranor was a mistake. Brona knew the Druid would be drawn there and at the very least there would be a hint that his Bearers hadn’t seen. He made his way out of the shack again and turned to the horse they’d brought him. It wasn’t much of a creature, but it was enough to take him to the keep.

The ride was long, but Brona had been lying in rest for many years. It was almost refreshing to travel such a distance. As he crossed over the desert that had once been something greater he could see Paranor rising in the distance. A lesser man might attempt to run from his fate, but not the Warlock Lord. He understood fate. You couldn’t run from it, but you could meet with it head on and change it.

He could feel shivers of fear racing up and down his spine threatening to invade his mind, but he swallowed it back. As he neared the keep he felt a tingle in the back of his mind suggesting that he’d wasted his time and that there was nothing to be found here. “Clever.” He whispered beneath his breath. It was why the Skull Bearers hadn’t found anything, this place was cloaked with a spell. He dismounted several yards away from the door to the keep and scanned the place with his well-trained eyes. Yes, he could detect a barrier shielding the old keep. He smirked as he stepped up to the barrier. He could see Paranor on the other side, but it was not the safehold that it used to be. No, this Paranor was covered in dust and death. The Druid Order had been torn apart and their blood had painted those walls. The Druids had gotten what they deserved, and he had seen to it. He closed his eyes still being able to hear the cries of the dying. This wasn't a safehold, it was a crypt. 

He reached his hand up and tapped on the barrier with his finger. He hissed as the flesh sheared off almost to bone. He turned his hand over looking at the charred flesh. Many people would react in anger, but that wasn’t something that he was feeling. He was feeling a sense of delight. He looked up from his hand and spotted a book lying on the ground just inside the barrier. The elements had mostly destroyed it, but the cover made of durable leather remained jutting out of the sand.

The Druid had cast a spell to keep the forces of evil out of the keep. It was almost poetic, because now Paranor was the one place that the Druid could be safe from him and yet he wouldn’t be there. A spell this powerful would have dreadful repercussions. No doubt the Druid would be called into the Sleep, and he would not be in any condition to go far.

Brona turned and sprang back unto his horse, knowing exactly where to go. The time to strike was now, the Druid was vulnerable. He didn’t believe in luck, but he believed those who challenged fate were rewarded. He drove the horse at a furious pace toward the closest Druid cave. The horse was worn from the journey, but he didn’t care if it dropped dead once they arrived. Today, he would kill that last Druid.

He reigned the horse to a halt at the edge of the cave entrance. He could feel the sense of victory welling up inside of him. Unless he had terribly miscalculated, the Druid would be here, completely defenseless. He slipped off the horse and drew his sword. The dark magic in the blade raced into his hand and up his arm as he stepped into the darkness in front of him.

He could see the man lying on the stone table in front of him. He looked younger than he thought he’d be. He tried to recall his face in his memory, but he wasn’t sure if he could. Most of the Druids were faceless in his memory. There were those that he hated, and then there were simply the ones he’d murdered.

Walking up to the table, he kicked a dusty pile of clothes out of his way. He rested his hand on the edge of the table and leaned over the unconscious man. “How did you escape?” He mused to himself. “Bremen was more powerful than you, but I cut him to pieces. Where did he hide you?” He laughed to himself, his eyes flitted over the body of the Druid. He noted the lines running over his arms and his fingers. The spell had taken its toll on him and he’d probably be riddled with more scars, but the Druid wouldn’t have to be worried about scars if he was dead.

It was almost disappointing that the Druid was so defenseless. There would be no fight here, but he did hope that he would wake up when the sword pierced his heart. He wanted to see the life vanish from his eyes with the knowledge that Brona had succeeded in his quest to destroy the Druid order.  “Time to die, Druid.” He hissed, channeling his magic back into the sword. He raised the sword above his head prepared to bring the blade down through the other man’s heart.

The runes etched into the walls around them began to glow like embers settled in a fire pit. Brona, consumed with blood lust, didn’t notice the telltale warning signs, all he could see was the man lying in front of him. He plunged his sword down, tip first, toward the Druid’s heart.

He heard the sound of metal clicking together. Steel building upon itself. The noise that echoed in his nightmares. The Druid’s hand moved quickly, his blade slipping in front of the tip of Brona’s blade. The dark blade slipped off the Druid sword and missed the intended target, instead it sliced down through the top of the man’s shoulder.

The Druid released a muffled cry as he rolled off the table. Brona stumbled back a step at the unexpected movement. He’d wanted a fight, but there was something about the Druid foiling his quick kill that made him annoyed. He reached forward with his free hand and summoned dark magic. Death by a sword was a better way to go than being ripped apart by dark magic. The Druid had brought this fate on himself by resisting.

* * *

 

Allanon was walking down the shores of the sea. He looked across the waters and could see the strange outline of Paranor in the distance. It wasn’t the Paranor he’d left behind, this one was the resting place of the spirits of the Druid order. He could sometimes speak with the others in his dreams, but only when they chose to appear to him.

He turned away from the sea and suddenly found himself inside Paranor. He inhaled a quick breath in surprise, the smell of death filled his lungs. He froze, barely daring to breathe or move. Glancing around him, he could see blood over the walls, bodies lying broken and bleeding on the floor. There was no sound, not even the sound of wind. It was silent. He could feel his blood turning to ice as he slowly started walking down the hall.

A hand reached up and grabbed his ankle. He spun around, ripping his foot clear of the man on the floor. To his horror, he was looking down at a bleeding Bremen. His master’s eyes were clouded white in death, but still his mouth moved. He couldn’t hear the words, but they echoed in his mind.

_“He is coming."_

Allanon stumbled back, feeling a sudden urge to flee the keep. "You....you're not supposed to be here." He stumbled over another body lying on the floor, but he couldn't take his eyes off the sight of his master. "You didn't die here, this is a mistake."

_"Wake up!”_

Allanon’s eyes flew open and instinctively activated his sword, drawing it up to protect himself. A blade glanced off his shoulder, the pain shocking him into full alertness as it sliced through his skin. He gasped in surprise, rolling off the table just as a powerful blast of magic struck the very place he once was.

The sickening sound of stone breaking echoed inside the cave. He could hear the table cracking apart, and feel it in his soul. The man that had entered the cave was powerful enough to destroy a Druid table. Shards of broken rock flew around him. He reached up to shield his eyes as a piece cut into the skin just above his right eyebrow.

The shock wave, released as the magic within the table was destroyed, hit him next.  His body was lifted from the ground and slammed into the back of the cave wall as if he was nothing but a simple doll. He could hear the sound of his ribs give way as he hit, feeling a wave of blistering heat wash over his exposed side. He could tell that his entire right side from his ankle, up his leg, back, and arm were covered in severe burns. The shock of what was happening numbed his body to the pain briefly, and stole his breath. He tried to breathe in, but all he could do was pull in a weak shaky gasp of air.

The cloaked figure moved forward, his hand lighting up with another flame of red magic. Allanon’s ears were ringing from impacting with the wall, but through the fog he could hear the cold laughter. He also heard something else. It sounded like someone was calling his name. He heard it again and forced himself to his feet. He stared back at the shadow that approached him.

The man cloaked in shadows lifted his arm, preparing to throw another blast of magic. Allanon knew that the person he was dealing with was powerful, and he hoped that his own magic was powerful enough to at least hold him back. Lifting his arm, Allanon summoned all the strength inside of him, channeling it into a deflection spell. The blue light shimmered to life in his hand. The colors of blue and red lit up the cave in a blinding flash of light.

* * *

 

Pyria could feel the nervous energy eating away at her as they made for the Druid cave. She was nervous about seeing Allanon again, but she was even more concerned that they wouldn’t make it in time. If she could discern which cave he’d gone to, someone else could as well. She rested her hand on her sword hilt. She didn’t usually carry a sword, but she’d been trained in the art of battle for her own defense.

“Do you know what we are facing, Princess?” General Edensong asked her. Her brother had insisted that they bring a small army if needed. So the general had rounded up a troop of his most skilled fighters.

“I think it might be the Warlock Lord.” Pyria spoke hesitantly. “I don’t know much, but from looking over historic texts the creatures you described have only appeared when he is around.”

“That name seems familiar.” Eventine frowned. “Didn’t this man destroy the Druids?”

Pyria nodded, attempting to hide her fear. If he’d destroyed the entire Druid order, what was protecting Allanon from sharing the same fate?

“We need to be careful.” General Edensong grew tenser than before. “We can’t risk engaging with someone that has magic that powerful.”

She knew that he was right. Their fighters were skilled, but in the face of magic they were nearly powerless. They reached the rim of the knoll and looked down at the sloping hillside that led into the dessert region. “There.” She pointed to a ridge below them that wound just up the next hill and disappeared into a dark cavern.

Eventine urged his horse forward, but the general reached out his hand and caught his king’s shoulder. “Wait. Look.”

Pyria followed the point of his finger and saw a dark hooded figure riding up to the cave. “We’re too late. He’s here!” She kicked her heels against her horse’s side, but two of the guards seized her reins. “What are you doing?”

“I can’t let you go to him.” The general told her, a voice that was far too calm. “It could mean your death.”

She looked to her brother in surprise. They couldn’t have ridden this far to stand by and do nothing.

“I’m sorry, Pyria.” Eventine sighed bitterly. “I won’t risk losing you.” He looked back toward the figure that had dismounted his horse and was entering the cave. “Allanon is my friend, but we can’t run in blind. Dying won’t help him.”

“Doing nothing won’t help him either.” Pyria didn’t mean for her voice to be so cutting, but she couldn’t help it. She would not leave Allanon to die. “I’m sorry too, brother.” She slammed her elbow into the first guards face and kicked the other guard’s horse in the side causing it to buck. She urged her own horse forward once they were forced to release her reins.

She could hear her brother calling out for her, but she didn’t listen to him. The only thing that mattered right now was helping a defenseless man. She would not stand idly by and let the last Druid be killed in is sleep, solely on the grounds that she might be hurt in the process. She reined the horse to halt next to the horse the rider rode in on.

Pyria looked over the other horse, noting the blood dripping from its nostrils and sweat soaked body. She dismounted quickly. “Anyone who treats an animal this way doesn’t deserve to draw breath.” She whispered to herself.

She turned to enter the cave when a powerful blast rocked the ground, a gale force wind exploding from the cave entrance. Stumbling back, she fell on her backside, her eyes opening wide in surprise. Had she been too late?

“Allanon!” Pyria called out at the top of her lungs, scrambling to her feet. He couldn’t be dead. She refused to believe it. She made her way into the cave and saw the cloaked man in front of her. She could barely make out Allanon, hunched over towards the back of the cave. She fumbled with the sword in her belt, barely managing to free it from its sheath. “Allanon!” She shouted to him again, and then the whole world exploded into a blinding light and the explosion that followed was deafening.

* * *

 

Eventine attempted to go after his sister, but General Edensong held fast to his reins. “Your Highness, you can’t.” His voice was stern. “We can’t afford to lose you.” He gestured to his guards. “They will bring her back. You need to think of your children and kingdom.”

He hated to admit that the general had a point, but he couldn’t stand the idea of his sister running into harm’s way. He watched the guards riding down the hill when the first explosion rocked the countryside. The horses by the entrance bolted and the guards were tossed from their mounts. It took Eventine everything he had to keep from getting tossed from his own horse.

“I’ve had enough of waiting.” Eventine fought his horse, trying to force it go forward, but it refused his commands. He looked up and saw his sister vanish into the cave. “Pyria!” He dismounted from his horse and took off on foot.

“Your Highness, no!” General Edensong gave chase behind him, but didn’t make an attempt to stop him, instead he fell in step beside him. “This is foolish!”

“This is about my sister!” He shouted, as they raced toward the entrance of the cave. The next blast knocked them both onto the ground in front of them. Eventine’s ears were ringing from the sound of the explosion just ahead of him. He shook his head trying to clear his hearing. If he was affected by the blast this much, he could only image what happened to his sister.

“Are you alright.” He felt the general’s hand on his shoulder and brushed him off. This wasn’t about him. He got back to his feet and stumbled up to the entrance of the cave. He was surprised it was still standing. He drew his sword and cautiously stepped inside.

The cave had suffered damages, the back of it had caved in and the stone table that stood in the center of the room was cracked in half. The strangest part was that there was no one inside the cave. He looked around in confusion, but it was as if no one had ever entered the cave. It was truly, completely empty.

“Your Grace.” General Edensong’s voice echoed in the stillness. “Where are they?”

“I don’t know.” Eventine felt a sense of dread flood his soul. “They’re just……… gone.” He turned to his general with a blank expression. People didn’t just disappear into thin air.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pyria wakes to find Allanon deeply injured from his fight with the Warlock Lord, and the world that she knew has changed. Her brother and his men have disappeared and she is on her own. She has to draw upon the knowledge she's gleaned from her years of study to keep him alive. While not too far away, another feels the effect of the magic shockwave and decides to investigate.

_Many years ago...._

Brona pulled himself up from the floor of the cave, his mind cloudy from striking the back of his head when he was thrown to the ground. He hadn’t expected that level of fight from the Druid. His sleeves were tattered and burns raced up and down his arms. He gritted his teeth together in annoyance. He was weak from his use of magic, and injured.

Looking around the partially collapsed cave, his eyes rested on the Druid... or what was left of him. The Druid lay face down, buried under rocks from the waist down due to the cave-in, with blood pooling in the dirt beneath his face. Brona carefully approached the prone man, noting the way his arm was stretched out in front of him still clinging to the Druid sword.

Watching him closely, he couldn't tell if the Druid drew breath or not. Yet, there was no harm in making sure the man was dead. He smirked as he reached down and pulled the sword from his hand. “I feel like decapitation with your own sword is the best way to make sure you never pull yourself out of this grave.” The sword seemed to sense the change in owners and folded in on itself, leaving him simply holding a hilt. He glared down at the sword, annoyance building. “I hate Druids.”

“Allanon!”

Brona froze at the sound of the voice at the entrance of the cave. Someone had followed him here, and if there was one there could be more. He was too weak at the moment to be able to use magic to defend himself, and he could barely move his arms without pain. He glanced back at the Druid. “You’re dead away.” He hissed, tossing the sword hilt back on the ground, it was useless to him anyway. He turned and pulled his hood low, moving quickly to the entrance of the cave.  

A female elf was stepping into the cave. She gasped at the sight of him, and he threw his shoulder into her, knocking her up against the wall of the cave. He moved quickly out into the bright sunlight and made his way into the trees. Something was wrong. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he could sense that something had changed.

* * *

 

Pyria rubbed her forehead where it had struck the side of the cave wall. She didn’t know the man that had pushed her and she couldn’t see his face, but she was certain it was the same man that had entered the cave before her. She’d seen the burns covering his arms up to his shoulders and hoped that Allanon had given those to him.

She shook her head, trying to clear it. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been unconscious, but she’d woken up just outside the cave. The explosion must have tossed her clear of it. She brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear, the force of the wind had freed it from the tight braid she usually kept it in. She looked around the cave and spotted the cracked Druid table. “Allanon?” Her voice echoed in the stillness.

She moved forward cautiously and stumbled over a pile of clothes laying on the floor. She glanced back at them and could just make out the dark stains of blood that covered the rags. She turned away from the sight, wondering if the clothes belonged to Allanon at one point and what had happened to him. She moved past the broken table and froze, seeing Allanon lying motionless on the floor. There was so much blood around him, was it possible that he was alive.

“Allanon!” Her voice broke with worry as she dropped to her knees beside him. She reached out with a trembling hand and carefully rested it on his shoulder. “Allanon?” He didn’t respond and she was starting to fear the worst. “Please don’t be dead.” She whispered, pressing her fingers against his neck. She could just make out a faint heartbeat.  A wave of relief washed over her, where there was life, there was hope.

Pyria closed her eyes for a moment trying to push out the panic. She needed to remember everything she’d learned through the years. If she stayed calm she could help him. Opening her eyes again, she looked back down at the man in front of her. Her eyes tracked over the familiar runes that marked the back of his head and neck, surprised to see that they continued over his muscle toned shoulders to his back. She admired the way they continued all the way down his spine. It would have been almost beautiful to see if his skin wasn’t covered in burns.

She frowned at the rocks that covered him from his mid lower back, down. She needed to get him unburied before she could do anything else. She found herself wondering if he was wearing any clothes considering the fact that what she could see of him was bare. She felt a blush rush up to her cheeks and mentally scolded herself. This wasn’t the time to be thinking this way.

“I’ll be right back.” Pyria assured him, getting back to her feet. She ran out of the cave, wincing as the bright light of the sun blinded her for a moment. “Eventine!” She called out for her brother. “I need help, the cave fell in on Allanon.” Her words seemed to melt into the stillness around her, but no one responded.

Her eyes adjusted to the light and she looked around at her surroundings. There was a healthy growth of trees that she didn’t remember being here before. She moved toward the path she’d rode up and looked down into the small valley between the cave and hill where her brother had been. “Eventine!” She called again, her eyes scanned the ridge, but he wasn’t there. She couldn’t even see any of the soldiers. “Hello! I need help!” She called out, but no one responded.

She felt the fear that she’d been attempting to choke down bubbling up inside her. Where was everyone? She looked around at the valley that had led out into the desert, but it just ran into more forest lands. “Where am I?” She muttered to herself in confusion. It was the same, but completely different.

She turned back toward the cave and quickly made her way back inside. This had to be some sort of magic that she didn’t understand. She was afraid for her brother and the men they’d ridden out with. What if the cloaked man had killed them all? She tried to push that thought from her mind. She could only deal with what was in front of her right now, and that was saving Allanon without any help.

“I’m here. I’m here.” She knelt down next to Allanon, her eyes drifting back to the blood soaked ground around his face. She wanted so badly to roll him over to see how bad the injury was, but right now that was impossible. Part of her wondered what was left of the man she knew at Arborlon, but she knew she couldn’t think that.

She started removing the small rocks, slowly unburying him. She had been slightly wrong, he wasn’t naked, but she could hardly consider him clothed either. She felt a bit flustered as she continued to work. “Why did you have to be practically naked as well as hurt?” She scolded him. She worked tirelessly until she reached the final piece. It was a large, jagged piece of stone that lay over his legs. She grabbed the edge of the stone and pulled, but it didn’t budge. She quickly braced her foot against the wall and pulled again.

The stone cut into her fingers and she let go with a muffled cry of pain. She hugged her hands against her sides and looked back at the rock. She felt a sinking feeling of dread. She wouldn’t be able to move this by herself. She looked down at her hands and noted the cuts in her fingers. “I have to get you out from under there.” She nodded to herself. “I will get you free.”

Pyria circled around trying to reason out what she could do. Perhaps if she could just slide him free. She brushed the hair back out of her face and felt her hands trembling. She knew she was on the verge of tears or panic, maybe both, but she had to focus. If she wasn’t strong now, Allanon would surely die.

She leaned down and hooked her arms underneath his and pulled. She had been worried that he’d be heavy, but now she realized she hadn’t been worried enough. He was much heavier than she’d hoped he would be, and the limp, dead weight wasn’t helping. “Come on.” She tossed her head back and pulled again. He slipped forward a small bit, but was still caught in the rocks.

“Please.” She pleaded to no one. “Please.” She pulled with all her might and Allanon slipped free of the rocks. She stumbled back and fell against the cave wall. Her arms ached from the struggle, but she’d succeeded. The effort might have left her exhausted, but her work wasn’t done.

She got back to her feet and looked down at his leg, the sight of blood catching her attention. His left thigh was heavily bleeding from a large gash. She moved closer to his leg to further inspect the wound. The gash was deeper than it appeared at first and it almost looked like it reached the bone. She could feel her heart pounding and her hands trembling from more than fatigue. What if she had caused this damage to him when she pulled him free? Certainly she couldn't have left him there, but perhaps she should have found a better way to free him. She knew that blaming herself for his injuries wouldn't help, so she tried not to think about it.

Knowing that she needed to stop the bleeding as soon as possible, Pyria looked around the cave for something to constrict the blood flow.  Spotting the pile of clothes she tripped over earlier, she found a piece of what was once a leather belt. She wrapped the belt around his leg just above the wound, but it wasn't the quick solution she'd hoped. It was awkward, as the belt had been cut. She struggled to tie the stiff leather belt as tightly as she could above the wound, and prayed that it would hold. She needed to first assess his head wound.

She dropped back to her knees and gently rolled the man over, carefully cradling his head in her arms. She could only see half of his face, as blood covered the entire right side from a deep gash that ran over his forehead and down by the corner of his eye. She couldn’t tell if the eye itself was harmed. From what she could see, he looked exactly like the man she’d helped in the library. She’d read that Druids didn’t age when they slept, but seeing it was something else.

She looked down over his body, noticing a jagged cut in his shoulder that already looked like it was festering, noting that the burns she saw before spread down his right side completely. The tiny scrap of fabric he wore had burned off at the edges and was barely covering him now, and where he was burned, it appeared to have melded with his skin from the heat. She bit her lower lip as she continued further down to his legs, both were burned, the right more than the left. She needed to stop the bleeding. She slipped off her shoulder cloak and carefully tucked it under his head to serve as a pillow.

She covered her mouth with her hand, feeling the urge to be sick. She turned away from Allanon choking back a sob. She’d never seen someone so injured before, but she couldn’t have gotten this far just to let him die in her arms.

Pyria wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and took a deep breath. “Clean the wound.” She said out loud, attempting to keep herself from completely breaking down. She recalled the pack that she had on her horse and made her way out of the cave, hoping that perhaps it would be outside. She looked around and spotted her sword lying in the dirt. She picked it up and looked about until she found the pack. Thankfully it had gotten thrown off when her horse bolted, and it was snagged on a bush just at the outside of the cave.

At least that was some luck. She snatched the sword and the pack, making her way back into the cave. She placed the pack on top of the cracked stone table and opened it up, fishing out a flask of water. She poured it over her hands, cleaning them as best as possible. She need to do everything in her power to ensure that none of the wounds became infected. She pulled out a clean towel and turned back to Allanon, taking a deep breath.

“One at a time.” She knelt down beside him and gently poured the water over his face. She bit down hard on her lip at the sight of the wounds. He would need stitches here as well, but it was almost more disturbing that he didn’t even react to the feeling of the cold water running over his face.

She carefully settled the towel over his face letting it absorb the blood and slow the bleeding, relieved that his eye wasn’t damaged. She applied the same technique to his shoulder. It cleaned out normally, but the edges of the skin around the wound were blackish in color as if the blade had been poisoned. She could only pray it hadn’t been. She carefully moved down his body, washing the dirt and dust out his injuries. As she cleared the grime from his side she paused noting the dark purplish swelling on his ribs. It was very possible that he’d broken his ribs. She quickly leaned over him, her ear held just about his mouth. His breathing was shallow, but it was normal. She sighed in relief, at least his lungs hadn’t been punctured.

Once the dirt was freed from the wounds, she returned to the pack and fetched more rags along with her needle and thread. No one could say that she wasn’t prepared, she just wished she didn’t need any of this. She set down her things and worked on starting a small fire, all the while stealing glances at the man beside her. She wanted him to just open his eyes. If he could wake up, then maybe he could tell her how to help him. It was clear these burns weren’t from fire, and she didn’t know anything about treating magic inflicted injuries.

Once the small fire was crackling, she held the needle as close as she could without burning herself. She waited until it was almost too hot to hold and pulled it back. The metal should be sterile. “I’m sorry.” She apologized in advance as she slowly started stitching together the wound on his forehead. She knew the skin would be very sensitive in this area, but Allanon didn’t even flinch.

Pyria knew that this would be easier if he wasn’t flinching, but it disturbed her that he was so still. She began to worry that he might never open those soft brown eyes again. She felt tears rushing into her own eyes and blinked them back furiously. She couldn’t think that way. She cut off the end of the thread and carefully bandaged his forehead.

She reached his shoulder and started stitching up the sword wound. The skin around the edges seemed to pull and break as if it was rotting. She fought off the urge to just quit, sitting back on her heels, she took a deep breath. If she couldn’t stitch it, she could at least bandage it. She bandaged his shoulder fearing the worst for the injury and then sterilized the needle again.

She moved down to his side and carefully ran her hands over his ribs. She closed her eyes as she carefully pressed her hands gently against his side. Again she knew that she should be relieved he was unconscious and couldn't feel her pressing against the dark bruise. She carefully worked her hands around until she’d managed to determine that the ribs weren't broken. She released a sigh of relief, at least broken bones was something she wouldn't have to worry about.

She finished with his ribs and looked back at the one place she hadn’t addressed yet. The cloth that just barely covered Allanon would have to be removed. It was bonded to the skin and if pieces of it lodged there it would lead to infection. She found herself staring at a patch of black hair that led under the fabric, rubbing her forehead. “You have to do what you have to do.”

She reached for the edge of the fabric and hesitated. It felt wrong, like violating his privacy, but surely it would be okay if she could treat the burn that ran over his hip. She couldn’t deny that when she was a much younger girl she had imagined what he might look like under his heavy robes, but now that thought was making it impossible to do her job.

Pyria took another long breath and gently grabbed the edge of the fabric. She slowly started pulling it to the side. It pulled at his skin, breaking it open just inside his hip. The burn didn’t go too much further in, but she couldn’t risk the fabric touching his skin again. “I’m sorry again.” She glanced up at Allanon, but he remained completely still. Oddly enough with all the blood washed from his face he almost looked peaceful.

She picked up her knife and cut the rest of the fabric free. She carefully removed it, chancing a quick look over him. She shook her head and quickly began washing and bandaging the now bleeding wound on the inside of his hip. Her younger self would not have been disappointed.

She got back to her feet and looked around the cave hoping to find something she could lay out on the ground. She needed to roll him over to clean the burns on his back and the cut on his leg, but she couldn’t just roll him into the dirt. She caught sight of another dust covered pack in the corner and curiously opened it. She found spare Druid robes and to her delight there were several large cloaks packed inside.

She lay one out next to him on the ground, and then struggled to roll him over onto it. She took a moment to catch her breath and then began the cleaning process all over again.

His burns were far more severe on his back. A simple rub from the cloth peeled off the skin as she moved. She tried to be as gentle as possible as she moved down his back. She reached the remaining fabric that still clung to him and hooked her fingers under the base of the fabric and slowly started peeling it off of him. She winced as more skin tore off with it.

She couldn’t help but smile a little bit just looking at the shape of the man in front of her. He was truly formed better than most men she knew. She’d always suspected that he had a rather nice backside, but clearly she’d underestimated just how nice. “Don’t get distracted, I’m not looking, and I’ve grown out of these feelings.” She said the words, but she wasn’t sure how honest she was being with herself.

She moved down to his leg and looked over the wound. Now that it was clean she could see the extent of the damage. She quickly poured some more water over it to flush out the gash a bit more. She winced as she could just make out the off white of bone at the center of the cut. The urge to be sick came upon her again, but she couldn’t give up now. She set to work with her needle slowly pulling the skin back together as well as she could, but with a wound this big, any movement could easily pull the stitches apart. Once she completed wrapping up his thigh, she carefully untied the belt.

She finished bathing him from head to foot, just barely having enough water to cover all of him. Once she had finished with that she considered her next move. She needed to make him comfortable for the night, but moving him to his back wouldn't be a good idea with all the raw damaged skin. Her eyes flitted over his body and rested on his left side. The bruises would be painful to rest on, but they wouldn't cause further damage. She moved around behind him and slowly rolled him to his left side, carefully adjusting his top leg so it wasn't resting on the injured thigh below it. It was the best she could do for now to make sure he wasn't in too much pain. She unfolded the second cloak and covered him up with it. She made sure to tuck her small cloak firmly beneath his head so he had somewhat of a make shift pillow.

“There, the worst is done.” Pyria rested her hand on the top of his head. “I need you to wake up for me, Allanon, do you understand?” She waited, but in her heart she knew there would be no response. She didn’t know what she’d really expected. She looked toward the entrance of the cave and saw that the sun was setting, leaving a shadowed land in its wake. Earlier she’d hoped that her brother would appear, and his men would rush in to help her, now she was certain she was alone. She hugged her knees up to her chest as she watched Allanon sleep. She couldn’t help but worry that the damage she could see was only superficial and that beneath the skin was damage she couldn’t yet see. She rested her chin on her knees feeling weak, tired, and most of all completely alone.

“Is this how you felt, Allanon?” Pyria asked him breaking the cold silence of the cave. “I looked in your eyes and I saw it. The loneliness. You tried to hide it from me.” She recalled the day that he’d left Arborlon with barely a goodbye. She’d been so angry when he hadn’t returned. To some extent she still was. He hadn’t told her what would happen to him once they’d found the spell, but he’d known all along that he wouldn’t return. It had bothered her that he didn’t tell her. She knew that he viewed her as curious young child back then, but she’d always imagined they had some sort of connection. Still, he didn’t feel like she had the right to know that he was leaving the castle to use a spell that could destroy him.

She looked back at the stone table and imagined him alone and hurt after he cast the protection spell. She wondered if he regretted it, or if he was happy to return to a Druid sleep. She found herself wondering if he thought of her before he closed his eyes. The thought made her angry at herself. Of course he hadn’t. If the blood soaked clothes she’d tripped over belonged to him, he probably wasn’t thinking of anything or anyone. Her eyes were heavy and the small fire had simmered down into coals. She lay down next to it watching Allanon’s chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. She knew that she should stay awake in case he woke up, but her eyes fluttered shut all the same.  

* * *

 

Brona stumbled through the undergrowth of the forest. He’d been looking for his horse, but now he was just attempting to find something familiar. His arms were aching from the tips of his fingers to his shoulders and he wanted nothing more than to retreat to a safe distance.

He’d only bumped into one elf, but they seldom traveled alone and he couldn’t risk engaging in battle in his current state. He froze as he caught sight of a fire up ahead. He watched the light dancing through the trees and cautiously moved forward. The sun was sinking lower in the sky and he was curious as to who he’d stumbled across. Was it the rest of the elves?

Brona moved closer and heard strange sounds that sounded like someone talking only it was garbled and strange. His eyes rested on pitched tents that didn’t look like anything he’d seen before. Laughter drew his attention to two children who were running about the tents.

He studied the children. They seemed to be human and dressed differently, but he couldn’t guess which part of the Four Lands they hailed from. Their parents arrived to scold them. They weren’t rovers, but their clothing would dictate that they weren’t farmers either. None of this was really important. He had just verified that none of them were armed, and they had food and shelter. He couldn’t see the person who was talking so strangely, but one armed person wouldn’t make a difference.

He emerged from the brushes, his burned fingers still wrapped around his sword. The man attempted to address him, but a swing of his sword separated his head from his shoulders. The woman screamed and the children froze. He lunged forward and slammed the sword through the center of the woman, spinning through to the side, letting the sword tear free from her body.

The kids seemed permanently rooted to the ground. Their eyes wide and staring at the gore dripping from the end of his black blade. He slowly walked up to the children his sword at the ready. 

Once the deed was done, the Dark Lord turned his back to the dead children and moved toward the sound of the voice. It had been going steady the entire time that he was killing the family. He stopped in front of a box and kneeled down in front of it, tilting his head to the side. The box was speaking about a recent earthquake that had been generated from the center of a park. He didn’t know what a park was, but clearly this box seemed to be some sort of communication device between people. He’d seen something that looked like this before in the ruins of the old world. He ran his finger over the top of the box. “Interesting.”

* * *

 

Pyria jolted awake, unsure of when she had drifted off. She sat bolt upright and glanced at the cave entrance. The sky was a pale grayish purple indicating that she had slept through the night. She turned back to Allanon and observed his unsteady breathing. He had been fine last night, but something was off this morning.

She sat down next to him and rested the palm of her hand on his cheek. He was burning up. She had feared that the injuries might lead to infection and fever. Right now she was just hoping it was a light fever, but he was so hot to the touch.

Allanon was shivering from head to toe regardless of how warm he felt, his body covered in a light sweat. His breaths came in uneven gasps that almost sounded like soft moans of pain. She pulled the blanket down just over his right shoulder and peered under the bandage. She sucked in a quick breath. The cut in his shoulder was a furious dark red around the blackish edges. It was clear that the blade that cut him wasn’t a normal blade. She glanced down his back at the burns and frowned. His skin was puffed up and the more severe burns were beginning to leak.

She pulled the blanket back over him and rested her hand back on the side of his face, brushing her fingers lightly over the edge of his beard. “I need to make a salve for the burns, a salve for infection, and I need more water. I also need to keep you warm, but I can’t light a fire if I’m not here to watch it.” She spoke the list out loud, as she got to her feet. “I’ll be right back, Allanon.” She told him even though she knew he could not hear her.

She picked up her pack and made her way out of the cave. The sun had yet to rise, but the glow in the sky was all the light she needed. Moving quietly through the trees while listening for the sounds of running water, it didn’t take her long to find a stream.  She filled up the flask with water, taking a long drink before refilling it again.

Next she slowly branched out from the stream and started gathering the herbs she’d recognized from her studies, keeping any eye out for any edible berries or greens that she could use to supplement their meager supplies. She hoped to find some plants that would help his burns to heal and perhaps be able to clean out the cut on his shoulder. By the time she was done finding the herbs she was looking for, the sun had risen. She quickly started making her way back to the cave, when she crossed over a worn dirt path she hadn’t noticed before.

The trail appeared well-worn, and she wondered where it led. Her eyes rested on a wooden sign staked into the road. She tilted her head to the side at the fresh painted lettering making this as the "Crest hiking trail" with a listing of miles below. She frowned in confusion. She’d certainly never heard of nor read about things like this.

Pyria shook her head and continued back to the cave. It was becoming more clear to her that this place wasn’t the same, but still it was so similar that it confused her even more than just waking up somewhere else. She reached the cave and slipped inside.

She checked in on Allanon and he was still shivering, which was to be expected. She saw movement at the corner of her eye and spotted his hand griping the cloak that he was laying on. His knuckles were turning a whitish color from the tightness of his grip and it was causing the burns that laced his right hand to leak and bleed more.

“Hey, easy, easy.” She reached for his wrist, but stopped herself, not wanting to agitate the burns there. She glanced at his face hopeful that he might be awake, but his eyes were still closed. He was beginning to react to his condition, however, as sad as she was that he could subconsciously feel the pain he was in, she was relieved that he wasn’t in some sort of coma.

Pyria quickly started a fire with some kindling she’d picked up while she was outside. She stoked up the fire so that the chill was taken out of the cave. She was somewhat glad the place had caved in a little, making the space easier to heat. She worked on mixing the salves humming to herself as she worked, hoping to ease Allanon a bit even if he was still unconscious.

She picked up the disinfectant mixture and carefully unwrapped his shoulder. The bandage was soaked with puss from the wound and she nearly gagged from the smell of it. How could something get this bad overnight? She dipped her freshly cleaned fingers into the paste and gently applied it to the wound. Allanon’s body jerked below her and long moan escaped his lips at her touch. “Sorry, I know it stings.” She whispered as she worked as quickly as she dared. “But it will be better this way in the long run.”

She re-bandaged the shoulder and started changing out all the other bandages, most of the wounds had bloodied the ones she put on last night, and she knew she’d have to wash them if she stayed here much longer.

She moved onto the burns carefully rubbing in the salve. The salve would bring a cooling sensation to the whitish skin and it seemed to calm Allanon. His breathing was less rough as some of his pain was abated.

She picked up the flask and gently tilted his head to the side so that he wouldn't choke. "I need you to drink for me." She told Allanon. His fever had caused him to sweat quite a bit and she couldn't afford him dehydrating. She held the flask to his lips and slowly tipped it up letting the water run into his mouth as slowly as she could. It dripped over the side of his lower lip at first, then he swallowed the water in his mouth. She felt a sigh of relief escape her lungs and helped him with two more swallows before he seemed to not want anymore. "Good enough." She mused to herself as she dried his face with the towel.

Pyria picked up a spare cloth and carefully wet it down. She cradled Allanon’s head in her lap and pressed the damp rag against the side of his face careful not to get the bandages around his forehead wet. “You’re going to be ok.” She told him softly. Eventine had told her once that she had a way of demanding things from people in a way that made them want to do as she asked, and she hoped that right now she could channel that energy. “You are going to recover from this.” She pulled her pack closer fishing out some of the edible plants she'd found and started nibbling on them.

Thinking about her brother made her feel cold and lonely. She wondered what had happened to him, and if he was just over the hills looking for her. She looked toward the roof of the cave and spoke to her brother as if he could hear her. “If you are looking for me, Eventine, Godspeed.” She closed her eyes for a few moments just hoping that Allanon would be able to survive until help arrived, if help was even coming.

* * *

 

Elena stared at the shattered glass on the wood of the old shop floor. She was curled up in small ball, taking cover behind the cash register. She’d just been potting some rare herbs to place in the window of the shop when she’d felt the earthquake. Living in California meant earthquakes were a normal thing, but this one hadn’t just shook the earth. She’d felt something move inside of her soul. All of the crystals that hung in the window of her shop had reacted as well. They’d glowed brightly as if someone had lit a small flame inside them.

She drew a hand through her wavy gray hair. She’d been working in a mystical remedy shop for forty years, and never had she felt magic like this before. She jumped as her shop phone rang loudly on the counter. She managed to pull herself to her feet and shakily answered the phone. “Mystical remedies, and Cures.”

“Elena!”

“Thomas.” She was instantly comforted by her brother’s voice, but she could almost sense the worried tone in it. “Is everything alright?”

“You tell me. Did you feel that? The earthquake. It didn’t feel……normal?”

Elena felt her heartbeat quicken. She’d always believed in magic and its effects on the mind and body, but Thomas had always been skeptical. “You felt it as well? I think it might have been a magical aftershock.”

“I don’t know, but it did feel different. My wife called me and told me that chime set you gave me lit up.”

Elena bit her lower lip. She’d given her brother a set of chimes to ward off evil spirits and even a city away the crystals had lit up. “I need to go to the source.”

“Hey, you are going to wait for me. I’ll drive up this weekend.”

“This weekend? That is three days away.” Elena complained. “I was fixing to go tomorrow after I closed the shop.”

“Elena, it could be dangerous. You have to promise to wait for me.” His voice was stern and she felt as if she was one of his children.

She sighed knowing he wouldn’t let up till she agreed. “Alright little brother, I will consider waiting for you.”

“I said promise.”

“That is as good as you’ll get.” Elena shook her head at her brother’s concern. “Now you get back to your desk job.” She teased him. He was reluctant to hang up without a promise, but he knew better than to argue with her too much. She set to work cleaning up the glass and finding a new vase for the herbs.

Once that was done, she made her way out to the front door and looked up at the little lit-up sign, flicking the switch to off. The bright neon sign that read ‘Shannara’s Mystical Remedies and Cures’ fizzled out into dull, simple tubing.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allanon finally wakes to find himself gravely injured and the druid table broken beyond repair, but in the company of a elvin woman he knew from the past. Pyria realizes their supplies are running out, and Allanon isn't getting any better. Unknown to them, a curious woman is seeking the source of a magical disturbance and an ancient evil has been awakened.

_Present Time_

Pain… a dull ache that slowly became sharper as Allanon attempted to open his eyes. He could feel the warm trickle of blood running down over his face. He couldn’t be sure how much damage he’d received after being crushed against the wall.

All he wanted to do was close his eyes and let the pain consume him, but he knew he wasn’t done here yet. He winced at the pain that flared up in his side when he tried to move. For a moment, he thought he’d opened his eyes and saw the familiar, worn Druid cave. Everything seemed so familiar. “Pyria……” He whispered under his breath, almost expecting her to run to his side……

* * *

_Many Years Ago_

Pyria stood at the entrance of the cave basking in the sunlight for a few moments. She was trying to maintain her sense of sanity, but she could feel herself slipping. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since they had ended up in this cave. It felt like a lifetime, but she knew it had only been slightly over two days.

They were running dangerously low on food and she wasn’t sure how long she could survive off the land before she would have to venture out further in search of help. She glanced over her shoulder at Allanon. He was her true worry in this. His fever hadn’t broken yet and the wound on his shoulder was still a frightful red. She’d observed that the blackish tinted skin had slowly started spreading outward and it frightened her. If she couldn’t stop it, it could kill him.

She crossed her arms and bit her lower lip. She’d spent the past hours running down to the river and back up to the cave. Only once had she heard any signs of life, and her hopes of it being her brother were dashed. It had been a pair of humans that were walking up the worn trail with large packs on their backs. The last thing she needed to do was tangle with humans, so few of them were hospitable to elves.

Pyria walked back to Allanon and sat beside him, watching him sleep. She supposed that she should be happy that she was able to get him to drink. She’d managed to mash up some herbs and plants she found and cook them into a broth, slipping itin with his water, so at least he had something in his stomach. But how long could someone really live like this?

She rubbed her face with her hands and thought about the man she’d spent time with in the library. She could recall his stern expression and the rare smiles that would escape, making her heart flutter. She had wished he would smile more back then. Now, she wouldn’t mind if he started lecturing her or calling her princess again, she just wanted him to wake up. Resting the back of her hand on his cheek, she still felt the same feverish heat as before.

He shifted beneath her touch and made a muffled sound that she couldn’t tell if it was words, or maybe just another groan. “Allanon? Allanon, can you hear me?” She sighed in disappointment as there appeared to be no change. 

She’d been putting off changing all of his bandages, but with the feverish sweating, it had become necessary. She started with the easiest one first, gently unwrapping the bandages covering his forehead. She set to work cleaning the wound and bandaging it up again. She’d been fairly attentive to the burns throughout the day, since if the damaged skin was allowed to harden too much, any movement would cause the skin to crack open, but a quick trip over with the salve once again never hurt.

Her hands worked over his skin as she carefully rubbed the salve in. Moving him about was more difficult than before. His whole body would twitch at times and sometimes it felt like he was reacting to her touch and waking up, but it was just the fever state causing him to move around. She spread the salve down his arm and he shifted again, trying to move his arm away from her, a soft whimper escaping his lips. “Please try to hold still.” She sighed, wiping her forehead clear of her own sweat with the back of her hand.

Finally, she reached the two injuries she wasn’t fond of. One was impossible to get to at this angle and the other was just in a bad place. She glanced worriedly up at Allanon, hoping that he wouldn’t wake up for this bit. She carefully pulled the cloak up over his backside and held it in place just below his hip. She quickly set to work patching up the torn skin on the inside of his hip in a clumsy way as she struggled to hold the cloak in place at the same time.

She then dipped her fingers back into the salve and started applying it to his lower back, down over the burns on his hip and right on over his backside. She tried not to think about how firm his rump felt beneath her hand and told herself to just hurry up.

Pyria realized that she might have errored treating the burns first. Her salve had made his skin both slippery and sticky at the same time. She needed to roll him onto his stomach to treat his leg, and she almost lost her grip a few times. By the time she got him on his stomach, she was frustrated and a little exhausted.

Her hands were shaking as she unwrapped his leg. She could tell that he’d managed to pull on the stitching and wondered if what she’d been able to do with his leg had really been enough. The gash was jagged and deep, and it wasn’t as simple of a fix as she’d hoped. She wiped away the fresh blood and cleaned it up as best as she could.  

She tied the bandage back on, making sure it wasn’t too tight, bracing herself for what was to come. She needed to roll him back over onto his side, and that was going to prove difficult. She rested one hand on his hip and the other on his side and pulled backward. Her hands slipped about halfway there and the cloak that was covering him slipped off. She scrambled to catch the cloak and hold it in place. He rocked forward and she heaved him back onto his left side. He released a long groaning sound and she winced, figuring she must have hurt him.

She moved to adjust his legs to keep the injured one free of pressure, but the moment she released the cloak it slipped down again. “Stop it.” She grumbled at the piece of fabric, trying to pull it back up. She realized that when she’d rolled him forward that the cloak had become tucked under his hip, giving her far too little cloak left to cover him up again.

Pyria choked back several words that she wanted to use and rocked him back a little further, tugging at the cloak, trying to free it. She almost had it when he over balanced back in her direction. She quickly put her hand on his ass to catch him from rolling back too far.

Allanon’s whole body shuddered and he shifted considerably. She hesitated before doing anything else and glanced up hoping he wouldn’t try to adjust himself. She saw him flex his burned hand and wince, then those beautiful brown eyes blinked open with another sigh of pain.

Her first reaction to call his name failed when she realized the state she was in. One hand holding a cloak stretched tautly over his front and another hand planted squarely on his ass. She found herself frozen in place, hoping that perhaps he would drift off again if she didn’t do anything else to upset him.

* * *

 

Allanon wasn’t sure what he was aware of first. The searing pain in his shoulder or the stabbing pain in his ribs. Perhaps it was the feeling that he was on a boat, being rocked about, tossed to and fro on the waves. He’d breathed in dirt earlier, which had tickled his nose and caused him to be aware of the thumping headache that he had.

He kind of wished he could just drift off again into a blissful state of sleep. He attempted to move his arm and it felt stiff, as if it were made of wood, so he curled his hand into a fist just to reassure himself that it was still working. He winced as the skin stretched tight, feeling the tingling pain that accompanied burns caused by magic.

Opening his eyes, he winced a little at the sight of the light filtering into the cave. He didn’t know where he was at first and part of him didn’t understand why he wasn’t on the table. He struggled to keep his eyes open, even the simple act of breathing brought on a fresh wave of pain. He could just make out the Druid table through his blurred vision and saw it arched up in the center where the crack ran through it.

The memory of what had happened crashed down on him. He gasped for air again as he struggled to look around for the shadow he’d battled. He pushed his left arm under him, lifting himself barely up off the ground. He suddenly felt her presence, and glanced down at the girl kneeling behind him.

The movement made his head swim and she turned into multiple figures before melting back into one person. Her hair was in a sloppy ponytail and many strands had broken free, her mouth hung slightly open as if she was in shock, or perhaps worried. He narrowed his eyes trying to keep her in focus. He knew her. “Pyria?”

She looked like he’d slapped her across the face. Her mouth opened wider as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

He felt himself start shivering again. He looked down at himself and saw the burns spiraling down his body, and then he slowly became aware that he was completely exposed from the back, a spot of warmth on his right cheek. His eyes slowly drifted from her face to where her hand was placed. “What…..what are you doing?”

“N….not what you think I’m doing.” Pyria’s words were shaky and she tugged fiercely at the cloak, almost knocking him onto his back. The cloak broke free and she tossed it over the top of him, so it at least covered him from the waist down.

Allanon felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. It was an emotion that he wasn’t used to feeling. Sure, he’d been alone so long that social awkwardness was something that he stumbled into a lot, but it never bothered him like this. He reached down, grabbing the cloak, holding it over himself. He tried to scoot away from her, but the effort made his vision go foggy and he slumped back down onto his back, gasping for air as the pain of his back touching the ground hit him.

“Hey, hey.” Pyria moved next to him. “You need to roll onto your side.” She told him. “Your back is badly burned.”

Allanon heaved himself to his side and felt the blanket slipping off to one side again. He reached for it, but Pyria was faster. She tucked the blanket up around his shoulders and all he could do was shiver. He looked back up at the woman that was fussing with the edges of the blanket. So much about her reminded him of that young girl in the library, yet she’d aged into something different, something more. Her hands moved with experience and her eyes were no longer as soft, there was steel behind them.

She moved to the fire that had dwindled and started building it up again. She looked back over her shoulder at him and he quickly looked away, feeling a blush cross over his face. “I’m surprised you actually recognized me after all these years. Unlike you, I aged.”

Allanon propped himself up on his left elbow again wincing at the stabbing pain in his ribs and the deep ache in his leg. He found himself short of breath again, a groan escaping his lips as he tried to adjust himself better.

“Careful, you have a severe cut on the back of your thigh.” Pyria informed him, tossing her hair out of her face. “Which was what I was treating when you came to.” She was quick to add in that last part.

He knew he was badly hurt and he could see the salve covering his burns, but he also knew that meant she’d probably seen him completely naked more than once. His face felt like it was on fire, and he couldn’t tell if it was because he was feverish or mortified.

“Are you alright?” Pyria lifted an eyebrow as she watched him. “You seem more flushed than usual.” She leaned forward to brush her hand over his cheek and he reflexively flinched back from her. She pulled her hand back, looking a little hurt. She cleared her throat and picked up a bowl. “Since you’re awake you should eat something.”

Food was the last thing on Allanon’s mind. He pushed himself up into a half sitting position and she was at his side in a flash. “What are you doing!” She demanded. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“I’m just…… just sitting up.” Allanon felt strangely uncomfortable with her being so close to him when the only thing that covered him was a cloak, yet oddly enough there was some comfort in not being alone. “What is wrong with my shoulder?”

“I think it’s infected.” Pyria admitted quietly. “I’ve tried to treat it but it keeps getting worse.”

He closed his eyes and remembered the feel of the steel blade sliding through his shoulder. He swayed a little and her hands slipped about his shoulders. “Please lay down again. I’ll adjust the makeshift pillow so that you can sit up more if you would like.”

Allanon felt some of his discomfort melt away with her gentle touch, her hands felt cool against his heated skin and he relaxed a little. “The sword was cursed.” He told her as she carefully pushed him back down and adjusted the pile of clothes beneath him so he was somewhat propped up.

“Cursed? What does that mean?” Pyria looked down at him, worry in her eyes.

“Dark magic sometimes…..” He gasped as the pain of the injuries rocked his body. Pyria blurred into multiples of herself. “Poisoned.” He drew in a ragged breath trying to balance himself again, he was burning, but he still felt so cold. He began to shiver again and it rattled him to his core.

Pyria picked up a bowl of warm soup and moved next to him. “Please try to drink this, it should help. What can we do about the poison? How do I cure it?”

Allanon looked past her, his eyes resting on the cracked table. The truth was that he wasn’t sure what to do with an injury inflicted by dark magic without the Druid sleep.

She followed his gaze and sighed. “Oh.” She moved the bowl closer to his lips. “You still need to eat, Allanon.”

Allanon made the attempt to drink a bit of the soup. He moved his right hand up to balance the bowl, wincing at the pain in his burned fingers. The warmth felt good in his stomach and he took another sip. That was a mistake. His stomach cramped up and he pushed the bowl away.

“Can’t you do more?” Pyria asked worriedly.

“No.” Allanon was certain that he couldn’t, he slumped back down and noticed that he’d rested his head on her lap. It was startlingly inappropriate, but his head felt so heavy he wasn’t sure if he could move again. “How long…… how long have we been here?”

“A couple days.” Pyria answered him. It was enough to exhaust a lot of their main supplies. She’d dug through his pack in hopes that he had more rations, and she’d found a few books that weren’t helpful and bag of strangely colored stones.

He could feel the burning sensation in his shoulder spreading out over his body and threatening to drown him. He struggled against falling asleep. “Thank you.” He voice came out shaky and quieter than he intended.

“You don’t have to thank me.” Pyria brushed her hand through his hair, gently pulling it back from his forehead. He felt her place a cool, damp cloth against the side of his cheek. “I trained myself as a healer so that I could help people in need. I didn’t think that would include you at the time.”

He closed his eyes relaxing even more under her touch. He recalled the last time he’d seen her and the look of hurt in her eyes when he’d tried to leave without saying goodbye. “Pyria, I…I’m….” He forced his eyes open again and struggled to take a breath. “Are you……” He couldn’t seem to make sense of words anymore. He tried to build a sentence in his mind, but everything seemed backwards. Darkness closed in on his vision as he fought to stay awake. He could hear Pyria calling his name, but it sounded like a distant echo. He released a long sigh and gave into the burning pain, slipping back into unconsciousness.

* * *

 

“Allanon? Allanon!” Pyria resisted the urge to shake his shoulder. She looked up at the ceiling of the cave trying to tell herself that his falling asleep was natural, but she couldn’t help but feel a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She looked back down at him, looking over the part of his face that she could see. His eyes were closed again, but she could see the muscles in his face twitch every now and then. She knew he must be in so much pain. He hadn’t said that he was, but she had seen it on his face and hear it in the small gasps of pain.

She poured some more water onto the towel and carefully touched the back of her hand to his cheek again. His fever was getting worse. She ran a shaky hand through her hair, he couldn’t go on much longer like this. The fever needed to break, but as long as the cut on his shoulder became worse it would persist.

Allanon was violently shivering again, and he started to groan in between his shallow breaths. His brows knitted together and she could see all the pain on his face that he’d been trying so hard to hide while he was awake.

“Shh, shh.” She hummed under her breath and ran her hand through his hair. She knew that right now she couldn’t do anything more for him medically, but she refused to leave his side. If he was truly going to die, she didn’t want him to die alone. “No, don’t you dare think like that.” She reprimanded herself.

Allanon shifted beneath her touch, relaxing into the steady motion of her hand. His body was still racked with shivers, but he seemed to be somewhat eased by her touch.

Pyria started humming a childhood song that she’d heard Ashala sing to her son. She couldn’t be sure if he could even hear it, but it broke the stillness of the room. She felt his left hand brush against her hand that was resting by her side. She gently wrapped her fingers around his, and was almost surprised when his hand closed around hers. She wondered what he would think if he was awake enough to know he was holding her hand. She froze in mid hum at the sound of a branch breaking just outside the cave.

She listened, holding her breath and straining her ears to pick up some form of sound. The sound of falling footsteps was faint, but she could hear them getting closer. She didn’t want to leave Allanon, but what if the cloaked man was coming back.

Pyria instinctively leaned down and planted a kiss on his cheek, surprising herself. She told herself that it was simply a comforting gesture and that there was nothing more behind it. “I’ll be right back.” She carefully moved away from him, making sure he was comfortable and sprang to her feet. She grabbed her sword and moved toward the cave entrance. She knew she didn’t stand a chance against the Warlock Lord if it truly was him, but she knew she would die trying to save Allanon.   

* * *

 

 

Elena walked along the Crest hiking trail. She hadn’t been out hiking for many years, and she was beginning to remember just how much she loved it. Being surrounded by nature and free of the noise of the city was refreshing. She adjusted her backpack, which carried various home remedies and crystals to ward off evil spirits. She couldn’t be sure whether the source of the magic had been good or evil.

She’d been hiking all afternoon and she was beginning to feel a little hungry. She was considering if she should find a spot to sit down and eat her packed sandwich, when her phone rang. Looking down at the screen, she saw that it was her little brother.

She smiled fondly with a light sigh. “On lunch break?” She answered, tossing her silver hair out of her face. “Do you not have anything better to do than to call your sister?”

“I’m just checking in.” He laughed on the other side of the phone. “Our weekly phone conversation, remember?”

“Yes of course.” Elena and her brother had agreed to a weekly call after he’d moved a city away. Since she’d been living on her own after her husband had passed eight years ago, she’d always looked forward to the call. “I just figured that you wouldn’t call this week since you’ve already done so.”

“Doesn’t change anything.” Thomas sounded like he was reciting a contract. “Extenuating circumstances don’t interfere with our weekly session.” The two laughed together and there was a moment of silence. “Are you out of breath?”

She realized that he could hear her panting through the line. “Ah, yes. I decided it was time for some exercise, so I’m hiking.” She chewed her lower lip wondering if her brother would guess what she was up to.

“Let me guess. You went to the State Park.” Thomas sounded more tired than annoyed. “Elena, you could have waited for me.”

“I’m sorry Thomas, but I don’t need a babysitter. I am your older sister after all.” She paused mid step in the center of the path. She could almost feel the traces of magic lingering in the air. “And I couldn’t wait that long.” Her voice was distracted and her brother picked up on that.

“What do you see? Where are you?”

“Leaving the Crest trail.” Elena moved off the trail, her heart pounding in excitement. She hadn’t felt this excited in many years. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area and she spotted strange boot prints and a small path worn through the grass.

She looked up ahead of her and spotted the entrance to a cave. “I think I found the source!” She moved forward, struggling to catch her breath. She could feel her knees protesting and knew that she would regret this much action tomorrow.

“Elena, you need to be careful.” Thomas warned her, his voice was filled with worry, but he need not fret so much. She could be careful.

She approached the cave entrance, and when she was only a few feet away, a woman leapt from the cave, with a battle cry and a sword pointed at her chest. Elena released a scream of surprise and the phone flipped from her fingers and into the dirt.

“Wait!” Elena lifted her hands into the air above her head. She wanted to say something along the lines of ‘don’t kill me!’, but she found herself unable to put more words together. The woman across from her seemed to be in an equal state of shock. Her hazel eyes were wide in surprise and confusion. She must have been expecting someone, but it certainly wasn’t Elena.

The two of them seemed to be locked in some sort of stare down, both sizing each other up. She looked at the sword pointed at her heart. The steel blade was glinting in the sun and it looked sharp. The clothing the woman choose to wear was just as confusing. They seemed modern, but there was a layer of light armor over everything, and the way it was fashioned was oddly vintage looking.

“You should go.” The strange woman took a step toward her, letting the tip of her sword brush against Elena’s shirt. “Leave this place and don’t come back.”

Her voice was stern and commanding. Despite the messy ponytail, Elena believed that this woman was used to giving orders and being listened to. “I’m sorry. I can’t.” She watched as the woman’s eyes narrowed at her refusal. “I believe that I’ve been drawn here by magic.”

The woman looked more agitated and slightly caught off guard. “Whatever you believe, you must leave. Now.” A strand of her long brown hair blew across her face and she quickly tucked it behind a pointed ear.

Elena stared at the pointed ear in surprise, and began to consider the possibility that the woman before her wasn’t human.

The woman noticed her look and sighed. “Yes, I’m an elf. I take it we don’t frequent these woods.” She gestured to the path Elena had come up. “You can take your prejudice with you.”

“Are you really an elf?” Elena questioned her. “Fascinating.”

“Fascinating?” The woman glared at her. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Elves are not thought to exist, and I would have my misgivings if it weren’t for the surge of magic I felt earlier.” Her gray-blue eyes searched the face of the younger woman. “Tell me, were you the source of the magic?”

The woman looked back at her, the confusion growing in her expression. She glanced to her right as if trying to recall something, and then back to Elena. “What year is it?”

“2036.” Elena answered her. She watched as a look of surprise washed over the woman’s face, and to her relief the sword lowered.

“Elena!” The phone crackled from the dirt. “I will call the police if you don’t answer me!”

“Do you mind?” Elena pointed to the phone, and the woman seemed nervous but shook her head. She bent over and picked up the phone placing it to her ear slowly. “Thomas.”

“What happened!?”

“No need to shout.” Elena spoke calmly. “I wasn’t watching where I was going and bumped into another hiker.” She felt bad about lying to her brother. They were so close that there were virtually no secrets between them. There was silence on the other line. “Look I’m going to turn back, my knees are bothering me. I’ll text you when I get home?”

“Alright. Be careful.”

“I will.” She hung up and tucked the phone into her pocket. The elf had slumped against the cave wall, looking more lost than anything else. “My name is Elena.” She extended a hand to the elf. “I’m sorry for startling you.”

“Pyria Elle……” She stopped and slipped the sword into her belt. “It’s Pyria.” She took her hand, giving her a firm handshake. “It would appear that I’ve somehow come back in time.”

“Back in time.” Elena wondered what had happened in the world that reset them back to using swords, but in the very least the clothing choices made sense. “Do you know how you managed this?”

“No.” Pyria looked exhausted. “I didn’t cause the magic that you felt earlier.” She looked back into the cave. “He did.”

Elena moved to enter the cave and caught Pyria tensing up out of the corner of her eye. “May I go inside?” She asked her, not wanting to end up at the sharp end of a blade again.

Pyria was watching her with an intense gaze. It was clear that she didn’t fully trust her, but she also seemed fairly desperate. She finally consented with a nod and led her into the cave.

The feeling of powerful magic sent goosebumps up and down Elena’s arms. She could sometimes feel the tingle of magic in the tips of her fingers when she handled rare crystals, but never this powerful. She brushed her hand over the cracked table in awe. “What is this place?”

“It’s a Druid cave.” Pyria answered, watching her expression closely.

She moved past the table and caught sight of a man on the floor. She could feel powerful magic radiating off of him, but it was tainted with a strain of something dark that made her want to recoil away. She slipped her backpack off her shoulders and dropped to her knees beside the man.

She spotted the strange lines carved into his skin along his head and neck where the bandages didn’t cover him. She’d never seen markings like this before, but somehow they almost felt familiar to her. “Who is he?”

Pyria sat down across from her and took his hand between her own. “He is a Druid.” She answered quietly.

Elena could feel the dark energy swirling up from him, and could almost see it in the air as if it was smoke. “He’s been touched by dark magic.” She unzipped her backpack and began sorting through her cures. She pulled out a plain looking purple crystal and some herbs.

“What are you doing?” Pyria clung to the man’s hand. “How did you know?”

“Sometimes I feel the presence of magic.” Elena told her. “Hand me that bowl.” Pyria handed her the bowl that was sitting next to the fire pit. “I’ve never felt anything this strongly before.” She explained, as she dropped the crystal and herbs into the bowl. She fished a round rock from her pack that had symbols carved into it, and used it to crush everthing up together.

She poured some water from her water bottle into the bowl and the liquid turned a light gray. “I need to apply this to the affected area.” She could see the surprise on the elf’s face.

“There’s a horrible gash on his right shoulder that doesn’t appear to be a normal wound.” Pyria looked both hopeful and skeptical at the same time.

She pulled the cloak down over his shoulder, and carefully untied the bandages.

“Be careful.” Pyria didn’t seem to be comfortable with her touching the Druid, but something had to be done.

Elena pulled back the bandages and looked over the dark injury. She’d never seen the effects dark magic could have on someone and it wasn’t something that she hoped to see again. She slowly applied the liquid to his wound and though the water was cold, steam curled up at the contact.

Every muscle in the Druid’s body tensed at once, he cried out and Pyria clung to his hand with a look of desperation. “What did you do!”

“It’s burning out the negative energy.” Elena told her firmly. She balanced herself just behind his shoulder so that she could prevent him from tossing himself back. His whole body was shaking in agony, and a fresh stream of blood started flowing from the wound. The blood was a dark, blackish color.

She heard Pyria gasp and looked up from her work. The walls were glowing with a bright orange, red light. She could see the patterns of runes running up and down the walls that she hadn’t seen earlier. She wondered if she’d truly stepped into another world when she’d entered the cave, and as much as she wanted to just become lost in the moment, she knew she had to finish the work set before her. “Give me a rag.”  

Pyria quickly snatched up a rag and handed it to her.

She gently wiped up the blackish blood and cleaned the wound. As she worked, the Druid slowly began to relax as the dark color started to recede from the skin around the wound. She worked until the black colored blood was gone and the wound returned to a normal light pink coloring. “Would you hand me some bandages?”

“How did you do that?” Pyria asked as she fumbled about with the bandages, managing to hand her some.

Elena slowly began wrapping his shoulder and offered her a small smile. “I work in magical cures.” She answered her.

“Are you a type of Druid yourself?” Pyria asked her. “I didn’t think Druids existed in these times, but you seem to understand magic.”

“No, no.” Elena shook her head. “I’m not a Druid, and I don’t completely understand magic. But I understand the influence that magic can have and how certain things react together, but I wouldn’t call that an understanding of magic.” She finished binding his shoulder and looked at the burns that ran down his right arm. “These were not caused by flames.”

“We didn’t come here alone.” Pyria confessed. “There was another man with us. He caused the injuries you see here.” She bit her lower lip. “I don’t know where he went to now. The burns are much worse on his back."

Elena could sense that the other man in question was dangerous, and staying here was a bad idea. “I should assess his other injuries.” She didn’t wait for permission as she quickly removed the cloak that Pyria had covered him with, pulling it down to his waist. The Druid was well built and she could see more runes flowing down over his shoulders and back. She drew her fingers over the intricate patterns taking it all in, wondering how far down they went. No wonder the elf seemed so protective of him. He was very easy on the eyes despite the burns that covered his skin.

* * *

 

Pyria could feel Allanon’s grip on her hand loosening. He still held on to her, but it wasn’t like before, when she’d thought that the very bones in her hand were going to be crushed. She watched as Elena looked over his back and felt a bit agitated by the way she was clearly admiring how his runes flowed down the back of his body. It was a stupid feeling really. Why should she care?

“You created a salve for these?” Elena looked up at Pyria with a hint of admiration in her soft eyes.

“Yes, I did.” Pyria felt a rush of pride, but kept it contained. She was proud of what she had done for Allanon, but at the end of the day she couldn’t cure the infection and without this human he might have died. That thought alone was making her upset. She should be feeling grateful, but for one reason or another that wasn’t the emotion stirring up inside of her. “There’s also a really bad cut on his leg…”

Before she could explain more, the rest of the cloak was already off, Elena had taken the edge of the cloak and swept it off him completely, exposing him once again.

Pyria quickly looked at the side of the cave wall, breathing in a sharp breath. She slowly dared a look out the corner of her eye and saw that Elena was smiling to herself in an amused way as she started looking over the leg injury.

A blush covered Pyria’s face, trying not to look as flustered as she felt. Elena was clearly not bothered at all by completely exposing a stranger, and she seemed to think it was amusing that it disturbed the elf.

The smile slipped from Elena’s face and Pyria felt a twinge of worry deep in the pit of her stomach. “Is everything alright?”

“His leg bled through the bandages.” Elena’s fingers moved quickly, working the bandage free. Pyria watched her work quickly, but carefully. The joints in Elena’s fingers were thicker and beginning to curve, dictating a life of heavy use. The way they curved reminded her of an old elf woman that made jewelry back at home. She felt both homesick and foolish for being so possessive at the same time. She watched as Elena peeled back the bandage and winced at how bloody the wrappings were.

“Can we roll him onto his stomach?” Elena asked her.

“Yes of course.” She helped Elena gently roll Allanon on to his stomach, feeling somewhat relieved that he at least wouldn’t be exposed in front anymore. That feeling disappeared at the sight of the gash on his leg. All the stitching she’d done had completely torn free. “I was worried that might happen.”

Elena chewed on her lower lip surveying the damage. “Pyria, do you have a knife with you?”

“Excuse me, what?” Pyria placed her hand protectively over the hilt of the knife poking out of the top of her boot. Her mind raced as she tried to determine why she’d ask for that. Was she going to cut free the remaining stitches. "I can remove the broken stitching." She offered.

Elena gave her a patient look and Pyria felt like she was being treated like a child. “Fine, you keep hold of the knife, but after you remove the stitches I need you to heat the end. We need to cauterize the wound. It’s our best bet to seal the injury.” The older woman informed her.

Pyria was slightly annoyed by the whole situation. She should be grateful for the help, but instead she was just upset that she didn’t think of this. She told herself that she had never really treated a major injury before, and this woman probably had years of experience, but it didn’t help much. She moved down to Allanon's leg and assisted Elena with removing the stitches.

After the wound was clear of stitching she held the freshly cleaned knife over the fire, waiting for it to heat up. She kept glancing back at Elena and felt yet another flash of annoyance that the woman seemed to have returned to admiring the rune pattern on Allanon’s back while she waited. She found her own eyes wandering back down over his back and to the curve of his ass and quickly looked back down at the knife, hoping that Elena hadn't caught her looking.

It seemed to take a life time before the knife glowed cherry red at the tip, and her fingers felt as if they too were blistering from the heat. “It’s ready.” The woman held her hands out to receive the blade and Pyria hesitated for a moment. She didn’t believe the woman would attempt to kill her. If that was her intention she would have tried something already, but handing her a weapon still made her uncomfortable. “Here.” She sighed and handed the knife to her.

“Hold him down as best as you can, dear.” Elena carefully positioned the knife over his leg. “I have a feeling he won’t be unconscious for long.”

Pyria tried to ignore the term of endearment. She was thirty years old and a royal, no one used such terms with her anymore, but she managed to hold back the comment and simply nod. She moved up to Allanon’s left side and rested her hands on the back of his shoulder. “You’re going to be fine, this will only hurt for a moment.” She tried to reassure him as Elena straddled his legs, lowering the heated knife onto the back of his leg.

Pyria winced at the sound of the steel touching his skin, it hissed loudly and smell the burning flesh filled the air. Almost directly after the contact against his skin, Allanon’s entire body jolted. His dark eyes flew open in surprise, and he gasped attempting to scramble up to his knees.

“Hold him down!” Elena shouted nearly being pitched off the man herself.

Pyria leaned her full weight onto his shoulder, trying to pin the much larger man to the ground. “Calm down, we have to cauterize the wound on your leg!” She shouted, clinging to his shoulder. She wasn’t sure how much he would actually be able to understand. He’d just woken up and she could only imagine the pain he was in. It quickly became clear that just holding down his shoulder wasn't good enough. She pushed herself up onto his back, trying to force his hips back to the ground. Her body pressed down against him as she tried to keep him from moving. She'd been so close to the man, but this was a new level. She tried not to think about how close they were right now.

The air seemed to finally reach his lungs, and he managed something that sounded between a shout and a groan. Pyria reached down and grabbed his hand. “Just hold on to me, alright. Squeeze my hand if it makes you feel better.” She couldn’t stand to see the Druid looking this powerless. He’d always seemed so invincible, but these last few days had shown her that he was anything but.

Allanon looked back into her eyes, his own glistening with fear and tears of pain. He closed his eyes and his hand tightened around hers in a death grip that made her flinch again. He bit down into his lower lip hard enough that blood was soon trickling down his chin.

She really did hate watching him hurt himself. She wanted to tell him that it was alright to scream through the pain, instead of trying to hold it all in. He didn’t need to be strong for them. She held her tongue though, knowing that speaking with him was pointless right now.

“There.” Elena moved off of his legs and picked up a spare piece of cloth dipping it in water and laying it over his leg.

Pyria rubbed her free hand over his shoulder. “She’s done. It’s over.” She told Allanon. “Can I get you anything?” She slipped off his back and glanced down at him with a frown. The clasp on the front of her tunic had dug into his back, rupturing several of the blisters that covered his skin. The guilt about the cut resurfaced again. She kept trying to help him, but somehow she kept hurting him instead.

Allanon’s breathing was still coming rapidly, but he released his lower lip. He tried to take in a shaky breath and opened his eyes again. He looked up at Pyria curiously. “Who is she?”

* * *

 

Allanon could hear Pyria trying to explain who the strange woman was, but he was having problems understanding the words she was saying. Everything was just blurring together in his mind. The pain he was feeling was still extremely intense. He could feel the relief of no longer being burned, but the burn itself brought on a new wave of pain.

He could feel the blood from his bitten lip dripping off his chin and wiped the back of his good hand across his mouth. It caused his weight to be shifted to the support of his right shoulder and he braced himself for a fresh wave of pain. He did feel some pain in the movement, but it wasn’t like the pain he’d been feeling earlier. He realized the burning sensation in his shoulder had dissipated to a dull ache. The feel of a normal injury and not an infected one.

He looked down at his hand that had moved back to clinging to Pyria’s. He hadn’t even noticed he’d reached for her again. He knew he should let go, but just holding her hand was comforting. It almost felt like he was clinging to some sort of life force that kept pulling him back from the edge. He didn’t want to let go.

“…..And Elena managed to stop the infection….” Pyria’s soft voice faded in and out.

“Elena?” Allanon didn’t remember an Elena, but that must be the name of the person Pyria had mentioned earlier. He looked at the ground before him and pushed himself back to his left side, reluctantly letting go of Pyria’s hand to push himself up. The fever that caused his vision to blur had ebbed and he found it easier to move, but not without its share of pain.

“Don’t try to sit up.” A gray haired woman was fussing with some bandages, and he guessed she must be Elena. “Do you want to make all of our hard work for naught?”

Allanon froze as he noticed that this time he was fully exposed. His whole body curled in on itself. The burns on his back screamed from the sharp movement and his leg throbbed with an intense wave of pain, but he curled himself up enough to cover himself with his right hand. His entire face was flushed, and he hoped neither of them knew that his fever had broken.

Pyria respectfully averted her eyes and handed him the balled up cloak. Elena wasn’t so gracious. “Excuse me, young sir.” She crossed her arms giving him a disapproving look. “I said not to move.” She worriedly tried to get a look at his leg.

Allanon pulled away from her, tucking the cloak around his waist. The effort left him short of breath and in a world of pain. He choked down a sound of discomfort and tried not to let the pain show on his face. “I was….”

“Yes, we were aware.” Elena said patiently. “As soon as your wounds were taken care of we were going to cover you again, dear.”

“I’m sorry, Allanon.” Pyria rested her hand on his shoulder just lightly touching him, almost hesitantly as if she was scared he’d pull away.

He didn’t pull back, but he was intensely aware of every piece of skin that touched hers. He blamed it on his current horror. He kept himself mostly upright, not wanting to lie back down or show weakness in front of this strange woman. He tried to reach out to her mentally, but he was too tired to read her thoughts. He could sense the magic inside of her. It was locked deep inside and not very powerful, but it was there.

He looked down at his bandaged shoulder. He couldn’t feel the dark magic anymore and he glanced up at Elena. “Who are you?”

“Just a woman. Now, may I continue bandaging up your leg? It would help if you laid back down on your stomach.” Elena told him softly.

He knew the cloak would have to be pulled up for that and he didn’t want that to happen again, but the position he was half sitting in hurt his leg badly. He slowly lay back down on his stomach, folding his arms below his chin. He could feel her pull up the cloak and closed his eyes trying not to think about how exposed and weak he felt.

Allanon wasn’t the type of person to feel helpless, and he rarely was. In this moment, he felt like he was at the world’s mercy, injured and naked. He tried to fight the self-conscious feeling of embarrassment. He felt a pair of hands on his back and looked over his shoulder.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Pyria blushed brightly. “I was just applying some salve. You damaged your back moving around so quickly.”

“I wasn’t startled.” Allanon lied. The places that her hands touched felt good. The salve was cool on his stinging back. “You can keep going if you like. I don’t mind.” He closed his eyes again as she moved her hands lightly over his skin. The cooling sensation was nice, but paired with the steady movement of her hands, it relaxed him and calmed his pain.

He looked up as the cloak was pulled back down over him. He felt a sudden sharp stinging on his mid-back. He took in a quick breath, his back arching reflexively.

“Sorry, sorry.” Pyria’s voice was riddled with worry. “There’s just a bad spot where I had to hold you down.”

“It’s fine.” Allanon sighed. “You don’t have to apologize for anything, Princess.” He felt her stop moving and waited for the sounds of protest. Instead, his ears rang with the sound of laughter. He wasn’t actually sure if he’d heard her laugh before, but he knew he wanted to hear it again. “I’m surprised you’re not angry.”

“Honestly, I’m just happy you’re awake and talking again.” Pyria sounded happy. He could almost see the smile as she spoke the words. She patted his back and moved away. “There. I think you should stay on your stomach for a little while if that’s comfortable.”

Allanon glanced at her. When he saw her earlier she looked worried and pale, but now he could see that some of the color had returned to her face. The setting sun’s rays where shining in the cave behind her and it made it look as if she was glowing. “Thank you.”

Pyria twisted a strand of hair around her finger and looked down at the cave floor. She cleared her throat and turned to Elena. “You need to thank her too.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” Elena had gotten to her feet and was looking toward the cave entrance. “You can thank me once you’re safely at my apartment.”

“A what?” Pyria asked her.

“Where I live. It isn’t safe for you here. If that man returns, your friend will be at risk for greater injury.” Elena reached into her pack and pulled out her sandwich. “I have some food in case you’re hungry.”

Pyria nodded and took the sandwich in her hands. She turned over the odd piece of food in confusion, but smiled up at Elena gratefully. “How are we going to move Allanon?”

Allanon understood the concern. His leg was badly injured. He didn’t know how badly yet, because neither of the women had told him, but if the pain was an indicator he supposed he was grateful that he didn’t break it. “I can walk.”

“You might be able to.” Elena gave him a look filled with pity. “But it won’t be easy. That cut is almost bone deep. We’ll have to move very slowly and you should keep all of your weight off of it if you can.” She slipped her backpack back on. “Either way, you can’t just go on a hike without clothes.”

She turned to Pyria and addressed her. “I’m going home to get him something to wear and fresh supplies. I’ll come back for you tomorrow, and then we can get the two of you home.”

“If you think that it will work, then I’m in.” Pyria nodded firmly. “Will you be alright on your own?”

“I’ll be just fine.” Elena smiled softly. “I’m not fragile you know.” She stepped back from the two of them. “I will be back tomorrow. Until I get back...” She pointed a finger at Allanon. “Don’t move too much. You need to save your energy for tomorrow.”  

* * *

 

Brona sat in front of the fire that he’d built up. He’d just drawn healing runes in the sand around him and closed his eyes, tilting his head back. He could feel the steady pulse of earth energy running up from the ground into his body. He could sense the ley lines that ran through the forest. This place was blessed with them.

He smiled to himself as he felt the presence of the dark ley lines, hiding just beneath the glow of the others. He was caught by surprise at how strong the dark magic was when he tapped into its power. His body stiffened as a vision flashed before his eyes.

He was suddenly flying through the woods, following a strange path to a pile of boulders that were covered with moss. No, they weren’t boulders, but some sort of rubble that had to have been a building at some point. A hidden door glowed bright red and swung open.

A pair of recessed, glowing red eyes looked at him out of the darkness. He felt waves of dark magic crashing over him. _Release me!_

His vision snapped back to the ground in front of the fire that was now dying. His mouth curled up into a smile. When he’d crashed into this world, he’d awoken something, and now it was calling to him. He rose to his feet and looked up at the darkening sky. “So be it, hell beast.” He spoke to the shadows around him. “I will release you, and become your master.”

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pyria and Allanon begin to get to know each other again, while Pyria continues to care for his wounds. Pyria still has lingering hurt feelings about how he left her without a goodbye all those years ago. Elena finds out about the actions of the dark man that followed them there.

 

_Present Time_

Allanon blinked his vision back into focus, pushing through the pain radiating through his body. He could see Mareth standing before the Warlock Lord, her sword and his own held to the man’s throat. He couldn’t deny the surge of pride that rushed through his chest. She was so much stronger than he could have imagined.

She’d learned so much in the few training sessions they had managed to make time for. He’d been impressed with her skill, but he hadn’t told her that. It was possible now that he would never have the chance to tell her, and the regret weighed on him.

He’d pushed her away because he didn’t think he deserved her, nor did he want to open himself to a relationship that would only end tragically. But those thoughts had all been selfish. He hadn’t considered her wants and needs, and now it was too late.

He’d done the same thing with her mother. Attempted to hold her at arm’s length, believing himself to be unworthy of the happiness being with her brought him, the fear of attachment causing him to hesitate.  And yet when it came to laying down his own life, he wasn’t afraid.

A flash of red light blinded him for a moment and when his vision cleared Mareth was at the end of the Warlock Lord’s sword point. Allanon felt fear that he’d only felt once before when the demon had attacked Pyria. He’d failed her in that moment, but he wouldn’t fail their daughter…..

* * *

 

_Many Years Ago_

The cave had fallen silent when Elena left. Allanon wanted to say something, but after all that had happened he wasn’t sure what to say.  He was grateful and embarrassed at the same time and it all just crumbled down to being an awkward silence.

Pyria had unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite of it. Her face lit up. “What is this? It’s actually quite fascinating.” She took another big bite and closed her eyes enjoying the food.

He wondered if she’d taken much time for herself these past few days. He could feel that his own stomach was empty, but he didn’t want her to worry about him while she needed the rest. She was carrying on pretty well, despite her exhaustion, but the dark circles below her eyes were tell tale markers that she was stressed and not sleeping.

She paused mid bite and looked down at him. She’d clearly caught him staring at her. She gave him a questioning look and swallowed. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Allanon answered. “You look tired. You should get some rest.”

Pyria shook her head. “The moment you are fully awake, you start to worry about other people. Just worry about yourself for now. I know you’re still in a lot of pain.”

“A Druid doesn’t dwell on what…” Allanon started, but Pyria quickly interrupted him.

“Allanon, you’re hurt. The universe won’t fall apart if you admit that.” She took another bite of the sandwich and licked some jelly off her finger. “And I don’t think you’re letting anyone down by feeling weak.”

He looked away at the runes carved into the wall of the cave. “I didn’t deny that I was hurt.” He sighed quietly, watching the dust from the floor of the cave kick up at the movement of his breath. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Pyria tilted her head to the side. “I don’t blame you for getting injured. I mean, sure I didn’t exactly ask to be sent back into the past, or spend days praying that you wouldn’t die, but none of that is your fault.”

Allanon frowned at her words. “Back into the past?” He listened as Pyria explained what she had learned from Elena. He’d never heard of such a thing, but the level of magic that would have been released from the broken Druid table might have been able to do something to that effect. She continued on, explaining her theory on who had attacked him.

"I came to the cave because I was concerned that the man you faced off with earlier was the Warlock Lord." She told him.

He felt an icy grip take hold of his heart. "Are you sure?" He questioned her. Brona, or the Warlock Lord as most knew him, wasn't someone that he'd ever wanted to hear about again. The man had brought down the Druid order, and murdered all the people he once considered friends.

"Not fully, but the general described these creatures of shadow and smoke. The only thing that sounded remotely like that were...."

"The Skull Bearers." Allanon finished her sentence, the dread inside of him building. It would make sense as to how the assailant had found him, and explain how he was so powerful. He recalled the vision he had from Bremen and almost felt sick to his stomach. Everything was making sense. Why would he have been given that vision if it wasn't a warning about the fallen Druid?

He rolled onto his side and the effort it took to achieve this simple movement left him feeling less than human, but he pushed through the pain. Even after he had left her without an explanation, she had still run to help him. He was surprised that she had done so, and to be honest a little touched. “I wasn’t sorry about that. I was sorry that I didn’t tell you what was going to happen to me when I left Arborlon all those years ago.”

She tried to conceal it, but he could see the hurt in her eyes. She was still angry about what he’d done. Pyria finished her sandwich before she answered. “Thank you for the apology I suppose.” She took a drink of water and her eyes grew colder. “I waited for you to come back you know. When you didn’t, I was worried. Worried that something bad might have happened to you, or….” She was twisting her fingers in her hair again as she composed herself. “Would it have been so hard to say goodbye and tell me that I’d probably never see you again?”

Allanon wanted to tell her that it wasn’t just hard, it was nearly impossible. Every time he walked away from the people he came to know, he felt like he was losing a piece of himself. He was supposed to walk through this life and not succumb to attachments, but he wasn’t blind. He could see all the people who he’d spent time with living real lives, and every time he got just a taste of what it would feel like if he could hang up his Druid sword and walk away from everything he knew.  “I just assumed that you wouldn’t care.”

“No.” Pyria’s attempts at shielding her emotions peeled away into anger. “You don’t get to just assume that! How could you think that of me? I thought we had an understanding of each other, but clearly you only considered me to be a foolish young girl.”

Allanon looked down at his burned hand and his eyes traced the lines of the forming scars. “I never thought of you as a foolish girl. You were smart, drawn to learning, and determined. I didn’t tell you, because I was worried that you might try to convince me not to go, and I didn’t want to have that conversation.” He looked up at her hoping that she could understand.

“Most people believe that a Druid doesn’t have many emotions, or perhaps they aren’t fully human.” He continued. “But having to give yourself to a greater good has never been easy. Every time I have to walk away from people that I’ve come to care for, it becomes harder to give everything up.”

Pyria nodded quietly and sighed. “I wish you would have told me just the same.” She looked back at the crackling fire.

Allanon slumped back down onto his stomach. It was the position that brought him the most comfort. The dull ache that was echoing through his body was starting to get the best of him. He could feel his breathing speeding up as he fought to resist the urge to let the pain show. Pyria had a point. He’d dragged her down enough and he didn’t want her to be burdened with worry about him.

Laying on his stomach spared him from the pain from the burns on his back and the injury on his leg, but it still caused its own issues. He kept his arms folded under his head which agitated his arm and shoulder, in addition to putting pressure on his cracked ribs, but the worst was the burn on the sensitive skin inside of his hip. It was being pushed down into the hard floor and it made any movement torture.

“Allanon?” Pyria moved to his side. “You don’t look so good, and don’t you dare tell me you’re fine this time.”

He wanted to say something strong, but he wasn’t sure he had the energy. “I’m not fine.” He managed to say between his teeth. He couldn’t deny the pain as much as he was trying to. He saw the color in her face drain away completely. “I could use something to drink?”

“Of course.” Pyria picked up a flask of water and held it to his lips, helping him drink. He felt the lip of the flask on his now swollen lower lip and whimpered a little. “Did I hurt you?” She set the water down and wrung her hands together. “I should get you some food…… I’m sorry.”

Allanon watched worry and regret cross her face and it made his heart heavy. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“Actually I do. I let past hurts distract me from what was important.” Pyria rubbed her face with her hands. “I should have been taking care of you before I…..I ate the last of the food.” She started rummaging through the supplies and paused. “I need to go out and get you something.”

“Pyria.” Allanon raised his voice as loud as he could dare without it cracking from the pain he was feeling. “Please don’t……..don’t leave.” He was worried that if she left he wouldn’t be able to hold back the pain anymore. His body felt like it was on fire, slowly burning while he remained trapped against the floor.

“Tell me what you need.” She was clinging to his hand as if the sight of him suffering was hurting her just as badly.

Allanon wasn’t sure what to say, but he couldn’t bear the amount of discomfort his hip was causing him. “The burn on the inside of my hip…..” He managed to say, he could tell that she was blushing as much as he was.

“We can fix that.” Pyria returned to her pack and pulled out a fresh shirt. “I can treat the burn there, then tuck this between the burn and the ground.” She paused and looked at the floor of the cave. “If that’s alright with you?”

He wasn’t comfortable with the idea, but if it could take some of the pain away, he was fine with it. He managed to roll to his side just enough that she could move the cloak just out of the way. He felt her hand slip over his hip and he fought back the urge to move away from her. The touch was soft and oddly intimate.

The salve burned when it touchedthe open wound and he’d never been more glad to have another sharp pain distract him. She finished her work and slowly helped him lay back down with his hip carefully balanced on the shirt. He wished he felt more relief, but he still felt the burning feeling up and down the rest of his body.

“Better?” Pyria asked him. He tried to tell her it was, but he couldn’t manage. Instead a small moan escaped his lips.

* * *

 

Pyria knelt down next to him and took his hand in her own. She could see all the pain he’d been trying to hide starting to show. She felt her heart breaking. She’d been selfishly thinking about her hurt feelings while he’d suffered in silence. She could see that same loneliness in his dark eyes, but it was accompanied by desperation. She understood now, that she wasn’t the only person who had lost something that day.

“I have to find something to ease your suffering, and you need to get some food down.” She told him firmly. “I promise it will only take a moment.” She swept out of the cave and bolted down the trail toward the river. She knew she’d seen some herbs that would be helpful. If she made a mash that he could eat and also numb some of his pain then perhaps the guilt about caring for herself first would leave her.

She couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid. She couldn’t afford to get this distracted by stupid things like hurt feelings. She found the herbs and pulled them free from the ground and quickly hunted around until she found enough plants for a stew. She wondered how long she’d been gone as she ran back to the cave.

She made her way back to Allanon’s side. “I’m back.” She waited for some sort of response, but he was quiet. “Allanon!” His eyes were closed and he seemed so pale and still, just lying there, that she feared the worst. “Allanon!” She shook his shoulder desperately.

“Mmph.” Allanon’s eyes drifted open. “Ow.” He huffed out a pained breath.

Pyria leaned back in relief. “You are not allowed to do that to me. You’re eating before you sleep.” She quickly started preparing the items she collected,attempting to calm her shaking hands. Elena might have been able to help him a lot, but what if he still couldn’t recover?

* * *

 

Allanon watched her cook up some form of soup. He couldn’t deny that it smelled truly wonderful and it made his stomach rumble in anticipation. Focusing on his hunger distracted him from the rest of the pain he was feeling.

Pyria finished making the soup and set it down to let it cool for a moment. She moved closer to him and rested her hand lightly on his good shoulder. “Alright, we’re going to have to get you up a little to eat.”

Allanon moved to roll onto his side, but the searing pain on the back of his leg caused him to stop moving. He bit down into his lower lip at the feeling, choking back the moan that attempted to escape his lips. His teeth opened up the cut in his lower lip again, and he could taste the tang of blood on his tongue.

“Can you maybe prop yourself up on your elbows?” Pyria asked. Her voice was clouded with concern.

He was trying not to feel completely helpless, and yet it was very apparent that he couldn’t do anything for himself right now. He moved his elbows under him pushing himself up. He winced and whimpered under his breath. The burns on his right arm and cut on his shoulder ached with the movement, but his ribs were the worst of it. The sharp stabbing pains in his side stole his breath and he found himself gasping in pain.

He didn’t want to eat anymore. The pains he felt in his stomach paled in comparison to the pain of trying to move caused him. He just wanted to lay back down and close his eyes. Sleep might not solve anything, but it was better than being aware of the pain.

“Wait.” Pyria grabbed the bowl pulling it closer and slipped her legs underneath his chest. “Just lay down on my legs, let me prop you up.” She offered hopefully. “Maybe that will feel better.”

He might have resisted, but he was in too much pain to care right now. He slumped down on top of her legs. It was still painful on his ribs, but at least he didn’t have to try to hold himself up anymore. He reached for the bowl with clumsy hands and nearly knocked it over.

“I got it.” Pyria scooped the bowl up in her hands and saw the look of annoyance on his face. “You can’t do this on your own, let me help you. Please?”

Allanon nodded and let her help him hold the bowl of soup. He carefully tipped it up to his lips and started drinking it. The soup warmed him from the inside, and having something of substance in his stomach cleared the foggy feeling in his mind. It tasted good, even if it was mixed with the tangy flavor of blood from the cut in his lip.

He finished off the bowl and his stomach hurt a little from the blood he’d swallowed, but something was also numbing the pain in his body. “What did you put in this?” He asked her. He’d never taken anything for pain before as he considered it a way to cheat your way out of understanding the price of magic.

“Just some herbs that should lessen your pain, and help you sleep. Is it too strong?” Pyria questioned him. “Or is it not working?”

This wasn’t the time to cling to his moral standings, Allanon was grateful the pain wasn’t as intense as it had been earlier. “It is working. Thank you.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “Can you try to push up a little? That way I can move out from under you.”

He started pushing himself back up, struggling to do so, the pain might be numbed, but moving was causing him to feel the same amount of pain as before. Pyria slipped a hand onto his chest just below his collarbone helping him lift himself up. The touch was oddly comforting even though it was another indication that he couldn’t do this by himself. He managed to get up high enough so she could free her legs, then lowered himself back unto his stomach.

Pyria rubbed her legs that had clearly lost circulation under him. “We need to get you settled for the night.” She told him as she stoked their little fire with what was left in the cave. Night was settling in around them and with that came a chill in the air.

Allanon was beginning to feel the cold on his bare skin as his eyes grew heavy. He shifted uncomfortably on the hard, cool cave floor. The cloak he was laying on top of did little to shield him from it. “I’m settled.”

She frowned at him. “You are hardly settled. If I can’t find another cloak you’re going to freeze, and I can’t risk you getting sick on top of everything else.” She moved around the cave sorting through a few of the packs and finally returned back.

He couldn’t tell if it was just the shadows of the fire reflecting on her face, or if there was a slight blush running over her cheeks. She was playing with a strand of her hair, constantly twisting it over her fingers, which would seem to indicate that she was a bit uncomfortable with what she was going to say next.

“I only have my cloak, so if you don’t mind, we’re going to have to sleep close enough together to share it.” Her tone was hesitant as she waited for him to protest.

“I don’t mind.” Allanon answered. He was beginning to feel the chill in the air almost in his very soul, and the idea of shivering scared him. He didn’t want to do anything that would upset the numbed sensation and send waves of pain across his body again.

“What?” Pyria was confused, as she’d clearly expected some sort of complaint. “Um, ok then.” She moved down next to him looking over him. “Let’s try to get you on your side a little.” She pulled up his pack that she’d since stuffed with all the things they weren’t using. It wouldn’t be the most comfortable form of pillow, but it was all they had.

Allanon rolled onto his side with her assistance, and watched as she laid down on her back next to him. Resting her head on the pack, she adjusted herself so that she was pressed up against his chest, situating herself a little further up than he was, so that his head rested just across from her shoulder.

“Use my shoulder as a pillow and make sure you don’t put any weight on your bad leg.” She instructed him as she tossed the cloak over both of them.

He moved his top leg forward and it caused him to roll slightly onto her with his head resting on her shoulder. He felt her fingers move through his hair and down his neck to the top of his shoulder.

He closed his eyes as she continued to repeat the motion, lulling him to sleep. He was pretty sure it wasn’t the cloak that made him feel this warm, but as wrong as this should feel, it felt so right. For the first time in a long time, he felt a warmth that was deeper than just being physically heated. It was a warmth that spread down into his soul. He felt as if there might be someone that cared whether he lived or died. It was a dangerous feeling that would lead to a different kind of suffering, that much he knew, but for now he clung to the feeling as if it was the rope that kept him from drowning.

* * *

 

Elena looked around her apartment. Since her husband had passed she’d cluttered most of the empty space with house plants, crystals, and other mystical things. It wasn’t the friendliest sort of place for guests, so she went to work cleaning up.

She fetched an empty box from the closet and carefully started clearning off counter space. She moved the plants up against the walls and then quickly prepped the bed for her guests. She changed the sheets out and brought another fresh set out to the couch.

As she set the blankets down on the end of the couch, she smiled to herself as she thought about the elven woman. She remembered that look in her eyes when she gazed at the druid.  It was the same look that Julian had when he looked at her. She sighed as the feeling of loss threatened to pull her back into sorrow.

Shaking her head, she continued cleaning up the house while packing some things that she’d need for the trip back to the state park. Her phone began to ring and she fished it out of her back pocket to find that her brother was calling her once more.

“Hello, Thomas.” Elena answered her phone as she continued to work. “This is a record number of calls in one week. Are you bored at home?”

“Ha, ha, very funny.” She could almost hear him rolling his eyes on the other end of the line. “There’s a record number of weird shit happening this week.”

“Do you kiss your wife with that same mouth?” Elena placed her free hand on her hip. There was no need to police her little brother’s language anymore, but teasing him was always entertaining.

A sigh echoed through the line. “Look this is important Elena. Are you back home?”

“Yes.” Elena answered him. She didn’t bother going further with that explanation. He didn’t yet need to know what she’d found.

“Good. I thought so, but I’m just checking. Did you see anything strange or suspicious while you were out there?”

She could hear the concern in his voice and tapped her finger on the back of the phone. “No, what are you trying to tell me.”

“You haven’t seen the news. Typical.” He huffed. “A whole family was murdered in the state park. They just found their bodies two hours ago.”

“What?” Elena slowly sank down until she was sitting on the couch, her mind racing. “How did it happen, do they know?”

“They suspect some sort of long knife or something of that nature.”

“A sword.” She whispered under her breath.

“A what? A sword?” Thomas was clearly confused and suspicious. “Did you see something out there and you’re not telling me?”

“No.” Elena answered carefully. In her mind she could picture the blade held at Pyria’s side. The woman wouldn’t have murdered a whole family. If she was capable of that, then she wouldn’t still be alive. It had to have been their attacker, which meant that he was very much alive and still in the area. “I’m sorry, it’s just tragic.”

“Obviously.” Thomas grumbled. “Look, you’re not going back to the park, understand?”

“Of course.” She’d never lied this much to her brother before, but she told herself that it was for a good cause. If she told him he might contact the authorities and as nice as it would be to get Allanon to a hospital, they simply couldn’t risk all the questions.

“Good.” He seemed satisfied with that. “I’ll still come up on the weekend alright? But no adventures in the wild outdoors as long as there are killers on the loose, got that?”

“I am your older sister. I’m supposed to be the overly protective one.” Elena sighed and shook her head. “I can take care of myself you know.”

“I know, but I can still worry.” He voice was warm as usual, but she felt cold inside. She couldn’t help but feel that his worry was out of pity since her husband died.

“Of course, but I’m fine. Dinner is about to be ready, so I’ll talk to you soon?” She quickly made up an excuse to avoid any more questions about the park excursion.

“Yes. I’ll see you this weekend, alright?”

“Yes.” Elena hung up the phone and pulled herself up off the couch with a sigh. She looked down at the blank phone screen. “You’re going to kill me when you find out what I’m up to, Thomas.”  
 

* * *

 

_Pyria dreamed she was lying on a beach. The sun was warm on her skin and the salty scent of sea foam was carried on the breeze. She took a deep breath enjoying the moment. She glanced to her right and saw Allanon lying beside her. It wasn’t surprising to her. She knew they’d laid down here together soaking in the sun._

_Allanon opened his eyes and when he saw her, a smile slipped over his face. He pulled himself up onto his elbow and leaned in closer. He reached around her waist pulling her up onto her side and closed the distance between them pressing his lips to hers._

_She kissed him back feeling his beard scrape over her face. He smelled of wind and steel and tasted like night air. Her hand ran up the back of his neck and into his hair as she pulled him down on top of her._

 

Pyria’s eyes snapped open and her whole body jumped in surprise. She was pinned to the floor of the cave by the dead weight of Allanon’s body. She was surprised that she hadn’t woken him, but judging by the slow, deep breathing, he was still fast asleep.

His head was still resting on her shoulder, and his arm was draped around her waist, his hand tucked up just below her shoulder blade. She felt the heavy weight of his leg laying over her own and considered her predicament.

First and foremost in her mind was the dream. She’d told herself over and over again that her feelings for the dark stranger had disappeared, but after that dream she wasn’t sure anymore. She was an adult now and the time for such emotions was past. Surely she wasn’t still hung up on something that would never happen.

Still though, she couldn’t deny that she was enjoying her current plight, pinned beneath Allanon, with one hand resting on the back of his neck, and the other on his side. She brushed her fingers over the skin on his side and closed her eyes for a moment allowing herself the pleasure of imagining that the dream she had was real, and for a brief moment the two of them were lying on that beach again, held in each other’s arms after sharing an intimate moment. Then it was back to reality.

Pyria told herself that she was just lonely. The dream could have been about anyone. That Allanon had only appeared because he was foremost in her thoughts, because of the situation they were trapped in. She glanced toward the entrance of the cave and could see that the sun was clearly shining brightly. It must be late in the morning judging by the angle she could see from here. It would make sense that the two of them had slept for so long. The activities of yesterday had exhausted them both equally.

She slowly moved her hand up the back of his neck and traced the runes on the back of his head with her finger. She moved her hand around to the side of his head and smiled as she recalled how he’d taught her what the druid runes meant when she was a much younger woman. She wondered if he still considered her to be that young girl that had tagged along behind him in the library, or if maybe he would start seeing her differently.

Allanon shifted a little under her touch and for a moment she thought he’d woken up. She froze, feeling her heart racing and hoped that he couldn’t hear it. She waited for him to move some more, but it appeared that he’d just shifted in his sleep. She released a sigh of relief and returned to softly petting the back of his head.

* * *

 

A light ticklish sensation on the back of his neck woke Allanon from his sleep. He could feel his body pressed down on Pyria’s and felt her hand on the back of his head. He could hear her heart pounding in her chest from where his cheek was pressed up against her shoulder.

He felt himself reach out to her mind almost unconsciously. In a matter of moments he understood the cause of her elevated heartbeat. She’d been thinking about him, but not as a patient. She’d had a dream and she was recalling kissing him, how much she enjoyed their current position, and the fear of rejection.

He could feel a sense of warmth washing over him. It didn’t feel like heat generated from two people huddled together to keep warm. It felt like it was radiating from the inside out. He kept his eyes closed as he lay there, listening to the sound of her heart return to a steady rhythm. He felt her hand begin to move again, stroking through his hair and down the back of his neck.

There was something soothing about laying in the arms of someone who cared about you that made Allanon not want to move. He didn’t want to rejoin the rest of the world right now. He wanted to stay here in Pyria’s arms. He felt a twinge of guilt growing in his soul. He almost felt as if he was using her. His life was complicated, and he certainly had no right to bask in the feeling of comfort with someone who cared about him.

Her feelings were different than any he’d ever felt before. She cared about him as person, desired him as a man, and not as a Druid. There had been others that had valued him, but as a tool, hoping that he could help them in some way, almost regarding him as something that wasn’t quite human. She seemed to be able to see through all of that, to the man he was, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this human.

Drawing on the warm energy bubbling up inside him, along with the residual magic left in the cave, and channeled it through his body, reaching out with his magic to heal himself. He couldn’t reverse all the damage, but he could mitigate it.

* * *

 

 

Pyria stared down at the back of Allanon's neck as his runes slowly began to glow. The color rippled down his neck and she could barely see the top of another rune glowing just below the cloak. She took hold of the cloak and pulled it off, unable to resist the urge to see if the rest of the runes were glowing too. She saw the pattern of runes that ran over his shoulders and down his back glowing as if ignited by some internal fire. If she thought the runes were beautiful before, now she was awestruck. She noticed light emanating from beneath the bandages on his shoulder and forehead. She could just make out the lines of light through the fabric matching the lines of the cuts. She wondered if the cut on his leg was also glowing.

She watched as the burns on his side turned to scars and the damage on his back lessened. She noticed the two patches on his back she’d damaged didn’t seem to heal much and she fought back the surge of guilt. “Allanon?” She spoke softly.

The runes slowly faded and she could feel that his breathing had quickened.  He moved enough to look up at her. His own eyes seemed to hold the same wonder as hers did, but she couldn’t imagine why.

“I used what magic I could to heal some of the damage.” Allanon told her. “It’s not much, but it will help.”

Pyria scanned his body again. “I noticed that your shoulder and forehead seemed to be healing, do you mind if I take a look at the one on your leg?” She asked, not wanting to just assume that she could, as he was fully awake now.

He nodded and moved off of her, wincing a little at the movement. She felt a sharp sense of disappointment as she slipped out from underneath him. She’d quite enjoyed being trapped under the Druid, but all good things came to an end.

She moved down to his leg and pulled the cloak wrapped around his waistup just enough to look at the gash and carefully unwrapped the bandage. The wound wasn't sticking to the wrapping, which was encouraging. It looked better, but it was hard to tell how much it had healed. It would still be a problem for them when they had to move him.

“It looks a little better.” She pulled the cloak back down over him and got to her feet. He was lying on his stomach propped up on his elbows and she noticed that his right hand looked more blistered than before. She knelt down beside him with a disapproving look. “What did you do here?”

Allanon looked down at his hand. “Side effect of using magic.” He answered calmly as if he hadn’t felt the burns when it happened.

“I have some salve left over from last night.” Pyria held the bowl out to him. “Just rub it liberally over your hand.”

She was surprised when he didn’t take the bowl, but instead held out his hand to her. She figured he must be in too much pain to manage himself so she carefully began to rub the salve over his hand. As she worked she could feel his eyes on her and she glanced up at him, noticing the look of curiosity on his face. It was an expression that she’d never seen from the man who seemed to know everything. She felt a blush cover her face. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked him.

Allanon turned away from her and looked off across the room. “I was wondering how far we will have to travel today.”

Pyria wasn’t fully sure if that was a completely honest answer, but she knew better than to press him. “I’m not sure. It’s probably something I should have asked Elena.”

Silence followed as she wondered when the older woman would return. It must be nearing noon by now and she was starting to feel a twist of hunger in her stomach. She finished with his hand and gently let it go. “Are you ready to travel?”

“As ready as I can be.” Allanon answered calmly. He had a determined look in his eyes and she was sure that he was mentally preparing himself for the trip to come.

She looked over their supplies unsure of how much longer they could last. They’d need food and what she could scrounge around outside wouldn’t be very satisfying. She felt him looking at her and glanced back at him, but he quickly averted his eyes. “I should treat your injuries while we wait.”

Allanon ran his tongue over the cut on his lower lip and nodded. “Let me know what you need from me.”

“Just….. hold still?” Pyria worked on making more salve from what supplies she had. The burns on his arm, shoulder, and side didn’t require any salve, but his lower and mid back were still in need of care. She slowly started rubbing in the salve, careful to be gentle with the wound in the center of his back where her buckle had cut into the soft skin.

He sighed beneath her touch and she could feel him relaxing. It was kind of nice to know that her touch had that effect on him, but she knew it wasn’t going to last as she continued. She looked down over his legs noting that the burns on his legs seemed to have mostly healed as well.

“I’m going to take care of your leg now.” She warned him. He made a soft humming noise that she supposed meant that he’d heard her and pulled up the cloak just over the wound. The bandages were loose as she’d already unwrapped it, so she set to work cleaning and bandaging it again.

Once that was complete she moved up to his shoulder and stripped the bandages off. She looked over the sword cut and could see that the skin had meshed together enough that the stitches needed to come out. “I’m going to have to cut these stitches out.”

“Do what you must.” Allanon didn’t even flinch as she carefully removed the stitching. She couldn’t tell if it was because she wasn’t hurting him, or if it was simply because compared to everything else he’d been through this didn’t seem so bad.

The stitching was out and now she needed him on his side to get at the other wounds. “Can you roll up on your side?” She asked quietly.

He rolled up on his side almost effortlessly. “The healing has improved my movement quite a bit.” He pushed his arm underneath of him and pulled himself into a sitting position. He closed his eyes for a moment as if collecting himself.

“That will be helpful for removing the stitches around your eye.” Pyria watched him with concern almost expecting him to fall back. “Are you sure you don’t want to be laying down though?”

“I’ve been laying down for days now.” Allanon replied, and she heard the frustration in his voice. He was clearly getting tired of feeling weak.

“Alright, alright, but you need to lay back down if you start feeling dizzy.” She insisted firmly as she removed the bandages around his forehead. The stitching was so close to his eye that she found herself wishing she’d brought a smaller knife.

He seemed to understand her hesitation and reached out taking her hand that was holding the knife. “It’s ok. I trust you.” His eyes met hers and she felt the connection she’d remembered all those years ago. “You’ll be fine.” He pulled her hand closer and lightly pressed the tip of the knife to his forehead.

She felt foolish letting the man that was in pain comfort her, but it was working. Once he released her hand she slowly cut the stitches free. The skin here was more tender that the skin on his shoulder and he winced several times, tears filling his eyes as she pulled the string free. “All done.” She announced as she removed the final piece.

She almost unconsciously wiped the tear that escaped down the side of Allanon’s face and blushed a little. “Let me just bandage this one and your shoulder.” She quickly focused on the bandaging, trying to forget the feeling she had earlier.

Allanon watched her tie off the bandage on his shoulder and leaned back on his hands wincing a little. “I’m sorry that the burden of caring for me has fallen on your shoulders.”

Pyria frowned at him. “I thought I told you not to apologize for getting hurt.” He smiled one of his rare smiles, and she couldn’t help but return it. “Now, one last injury I need to treat.” Her eyes traveled down his body toward his hip.

“I’m sure it was healed enough.” Allanon spoke uneasily.

She glanced back at him and saw the nervousness in his expression. It was almost amusing seeing the Druid so flustered. “That wound caused you a lot of pain earlier, and it was as bad as the burns on your back that were re-damaged. I need to look at it.” She felt herself blushing with him. “I’ll keep you covered.”

He nodded, quietly looking away as she carefully moved the cloak low enough to see the injury. She had been right, the skin was irritated still and it looked like laying on his stomach had bothered it again. She applied the last of the salve and replaced the bandage. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” She asked him as she pulled the cloak back up over his hip.

Allanon responded with a soft. “Thank you.” He still couldn’t meet her gaze, and seeing him this shy was truly a shock to her.

“How are you feeling?” She asked him. “And give me an honest answer.”

He finally looked up at her and held her gaze for a moment before responding. “I feel better.” His response was simple and avoided any sort of actual confession of his current physical condition. It was so frustrating, but so Allanon that she couldn’t help but shake her head with a small smile.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elena returns with supplies to help get Pyria and Allanon back to her apartment. With Allanon barely able walk, the path out of the park is a long and difficult trek.

_Many Years Ago_

Elena had found that getting in to the state park was much harder than she’d hoped. The rangers had shut down half the park and she was relieved to find that it was the half she didn’t need to get to. It was also a relief to know that the murders had occurred far enough away from the cave that it couldn’t have been Pyria.

She parked her car in the last parking spot available and unloaded her backpack. No one gave her a second look as she simply looked like an average hiker. With determination, she hiked up the trail as fast as she could go. It was possible the Rangers would slowly fan out and start searching the rest of the park for the killer, and she couldn’t risk Allanon and Pyria being found.

She turned off the trail and trudged up to the cave. Her shoulders protested the weight of the backpack, and she wondered if she’d packed too many extra water bottles. She was a little out of breath by the time she reached the cave and made her way in, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the dimness of the cave lighting.

“Elena.” Pyria’s voice sounded much cheerier than it had before. “Is everything ready for us to make our way to your house?”

“Yes.” As her eyes adjusted, Elena spotted Allanon sitting up. “What are you doing? You should be laying down and conserving your strength till we're ready to leave.” She dropped the backpack on the floor, rushing over to him, but as she approached she realized that he looked far better than he should.

“He healed himself.” Pyria quickly spoke for him. “Not all the way, but a lot of the injuries have been improved.”

“I can see that.” Elena looked over him in surprise. “That is truly amazing. How did you do it?”

“This is a Druid cave, and although the table was destroyed there‘s still some residual magic inside.” Allanon answered. “I was able to draw on that magic to heal myself.”

“That is truly incredible.” Elena got back to her feet and saw that Pyria had picked up her pack and placed it on the cracked table. “Thank you, dear. Will you be needing any of these extra bandages and salve I brought?”

“No. I just changed everything.” Pyria assured her. “But thank you for bringing them.”

“We might need them later.” She reached into her pack and pulled out another sandwich. “Don’t worry dear, this is just to hold you over, I’ll make you a real dinner at home.” She pulled out a thermos of soup and handed it to Allanon. “I brought some soup for you. Eat up.”

She sat down on the edge of the table watching the two tear into the food. “I’ve also brought you two a change of clothes, because neither of you can go out like this.”

Pyria looked confused and pointed at herself.

“Yes, you too.” Elena pulled out a pair of jeans and flannel button up shirt. “These are for you, and so is this.” She held a fabric head band out to her that complemented the shirt. “You’ll need to keep your ear tips covered.”

“Right, because elves don’t exist yet.” Pyria sighed.

Elena could hear the sorrow in that sigh. She wondered if the elf and the Druid were stuck here, or if they’d be able to find their way back home.

“I’ll be right back.” Pyria took her clothes and made her way outside the cave, clearly not wanting to change in front of the Druid.

“I’ve got these for you.” Elena pulled out a pair of navy and red striped gym shorts. “My brother left them at my house, and I think they’ll fit you without rubbing too much.”

Allanon looked at the shorts with a pained expression. “Better than nothing.” He sighed to himself.

He moved to get up off the floor and Elena quickly moved to his side. “Wait.” She rested a hand on his shoulder and pulled a bag of pills from her pocket. “Take one of these before you attempt to stand.”

“What are those?” Allanon frowned at the pills, suspicion clear in his tone.

“Medication.” Elena informed him. “They’ll reduce your pain.”

He glanced at her and back at the pills and shook his head. “No. I won’t take them.”

Moving so suddenly that Elena wasn’t fully prepared for the action, Allanon rocked to his feet and gasped, nearly collapsing again, but managed to catch himself on the table. He leaned on his arms trying to keep most of the weight off his bad leg.

“That was just foolish.” Elena sighed and slipped the package of pills back into the pack. “You certainly are stuborn.” She doubted his resistance to taking the pain medication would last for the whole trip back to the car.

“Let’s get you dressed.” She pulled the cloak free and ignored his grumble of protest, helping him step into the shorts and pulled them up over his hips. “I also have a new tank top for you, baggy so it won't rub.” He seemed much happier with the slate gray tank than he had with the shorts as she helped him pull it on.

“You’re standing.” Pyria announced in surprise and concern as she reentered the cave, her old clothes held in her arms and the fabric headband concealing her ears.

"Here, step into these." Elena placed a pair of sandals in front of him.

"Those aren't shoes." Allanon pointed out with another look of annoyance, but slipped them onto his feet. "How does one walk in these?"

“The same way one walks in any other pair of shoes. We should go, before he wears himself out.” Elena suggested. She was worried that if Allanon sat down again, he’d be reluctant to get back up.

“I’m ready.” Allanon announced firmly, but Elena could tell that Pyria believed him almost as much as she did.

* * *

 

“We need to go before the police move this direction.” Elena stated in a matter of fact tone.

“Police?” Pyria questioned.

“Law enforcement.” Elena looked around the cave. “We can’t be too burdened, can we leave the rest?”

“I need my sword and the elf stones.” Allanon’s voice already sounded strained, and Pyria was wondering how far they’d actually make it.

“Not a good idea.” Elena frowned. “We don’t want to be spotted with weapons.”

“I think we can hide it.” Pyria pulled the hilt out of her bag and tucked it into the back of her waist band, pulling her shirt down over it. She didn’t know exactly what elf stones were, but she assumed that they were the strange stones she’d found earlier. She tucked the small package into her front pocket.

The rest of it would need to be hidden. The back of the cave had caved in and there were plenty of places to slip the remaining items under the rubble to keep them hidden. She pushed the packs down into the deepest hole and picked up her sword.

She ran her thumb over the family seal engraved into the hilt. Her last link to her brother and to the past, or the future, or whatever this was. She promised herself that she’d come back for the sword and pushed it into the hole on top of the packs. She shifted one of the rocks down over the entry and stepped back. It looked just like the rest of the cave in and no one would suspect anything was hidden beneath. She made her way back to the others. “Let’s go.”

Elena scooped up her pack as Pyria slipped under Allanon’s arm on his left side. Hopefully she’d be able to balance him enough that he wouldn’t have to step too heavily on his bad leg. She nearly expected him to pull away from her, but instead he leaned in closer. She tucked her arm around his waist and tried not to think about how close they were pushed together. “Let’s take a couple of small steps and then you can tell us how you’re feeling with those.”

Allanon didn’t protest, in fact he looked nervous, perhaps scared. She could understand that, after all she’d been out of the cave when he’d stood up and she didn’t know how well that went. She stepped to the side of the table, and he moved with her. His grip on her shoulder tightened and he kept one hand balanced at the edge of the table as he tried to keep the weight off his bad leg.

He stumbled forward until they reached the end of the table and by then he was already breathing heavily, but it wasn’t from exhaustion it was the pain. “Wait…wait.” He panted uneasily.

Pyria rubbed his side reassuringly. “Take your time, we’ll move when you’re ready.” She recalled the time he’d carried her to her room when she’d fallen asleep in the library. Now it was her turn to carry him to a place of safety.

“Alright.” Allanon took a deep breath and moved forward again. He took a hesitant step forward and swayed unsteadily on his feet.

“I got you, I got you.” Pyria pulled him as close to her as possible as they moved for the entrance of the cave.

“Getting down to the trail is going to be the hardest part.” Elena fell into step behind them, eyeing Allanon’s leg worriedly. “Once we get to the trail, at least the path will be more even.”

Pyria nodded as they stepped out into the light of the early evening. Allanon had seen even less of the sun than she had, so for a moment he paused, squeezing his eyes shut. “It feels nice doesn’t it? The sunlight?” It was a dumb question, but perhaps it would pose as a distraction.

Allanon slowly blinked his eyes open and nodded. He looked around at their surroundings as if he was searching for something, and she wondered if he was looking for the desert trail that led to Paranor. “It’s all so different.” He said softly to himself.

They moved forward again, down the gentle incline toward the trail. Allanon was struggling enough to put one foot in front of the other and the incline wasn’t helping. He overbalanced forward, so Pyria held tightly to his waist and placed her free hand on his chest to keep him balanced.

She could feel the muscle beneath his tank top, and her fingertips rested just over the edge of the collar on his skin. She felt the rhythm of his heart hammering against the palm of her hand and wondered if his heart would beat the same way if she touched him like this in a different setting. One in which he wasn’t injured, and where they weren’t lost and confused. She tried to push the thoughts from her mind. They were startlingly inappropriate. She needed to stay here in the moment, and not get caught up in some sort of fantasy.

“We’re almost there.” She announced as they moved past the final bush and made it to the flat trail. She could already feel the strain in her shoulders and back. Allanon was heavy and she hoped they didn’t have too much farther to go.

* * *

 

Allanon had started to wonder if they would ever get to the trail itself. Never in his life had he imagined that walking would be so difficult. By the time they’d reached the well-worn, even path, all he could feel was a stabbing pain in his leg that seemed to shoot straight up his spine. He could feel himself starting to sweat and he began to worry about the rest of the journey.

He struggled to catch his breath and looked down at the hand that rested on his chest. Pyria’s delicate fingers moved in a slow circle, and he wondered how such thin, gentle fingers could ever wield a sword.

“How are you feeling? Are you alright? Allanon?” Her voice commanded his attention pulling his focus back to her face, concern written all over her face. She was clearly worried he might pass out.

He wasn’t sure how to respond. He certainly didn’t feel alright, but he wasn’t going to trouble her more than he already was. “I’m fine. I just need to catch my breath.” He saw the annoyance flicker across her face at the word ‘fine’, but her features softened quickly.

“Take your time. We want to get you to the car in one piece.” She encouraged him.

He could feel the same sentiment from Elena, but it also came with a sharp stab of worry. She didn’t want them to be found by the authorities. His mind had opened to the thoughts of others and he could hear Pyria’s wash over Elena’s thoughts. Pyria’s thoughts felt like a warm wave of water breaking over him and sweeping him away.

She was acutely aware of where her hands were placed and how close they were. He could see the memory of carrying her to her bedchambers clearly in his mind as she was picturing it in hers. It felt like an invasion of her privacy, but at the same time he couldn’t stop himself.

“Are you ready to proceed?” Elena questioned him, and he realized he’d just been standing there staring at Pyria, whose face had gone completely red.

“Um…..” Allanon turned away from Pyria and focused on the ground in front of him. “Yes.” He moved forward again wincing as the pain raced up his leg. Pyria removed her hand from his chest to take hold of his arm just below his elbow to hold him up as best she could. The place where her hand used to be felt strangely cold and he found himself wishing she hadn’t moved it.

Their progress was painfully slow, and each step was becoming more unbearable than the last. Struggling forward along the path was almost no easier than walking down that hill. He could feel Pyria’s concern for him as a constant cloud around him. Such thoughts would have made him feel weak or agitated in the past, but it was the way she worried about him that made everything different.

She wasn’t worried that he would be too damaged to be of use, nor was she wondering why he didn’t just magically restore himself with some sort of spell. He was so used to these thoughts, that her unselfish concern for him as person touched his soul in a way that he hadn’t felt before.

Yes, perhaps it was a little personal invasion but he found himself looking more fully into her thoughts again. The first layer was her struggling to carry him and he felt guilty about that and yet all he could do was lean on her. She was trying to remain positive and that seemed to cause her to dwell on the memory of him carrying her.

He felt a spark of happiness light in his chest regardless of the all-consuming pain. The idea that he was in a memory that she associated with happiness made him feel as though he was special to her as person and not as a weapon.

Allanon had hoped the walk wasn’t too long, but every step was feeling like an eternity. He wasn’t even sure where it was they were going. They were to get to someplace that would take them to another. His thoughts were beginning to run together when another human appeared on the trail in front of them.

The hiker caught sight of the three of them and paused. He reached into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out a cellphone. “You need me to call someone for you?”

“Oh we’re fine thank you.” Elena fell in beside the two of them with a bright smile as if nothing in the world was wrong. “My brother in law here just had a rather nasty fall. You know how foolish some folks can be.” The hiker didn’t look convinced so she went on. “He’s never hiked before, but he certainly thought he could go bouldering off the trail.”

The man took a moment before smiling a bit. “That wasn’t so easy was it, man?”

Allanon forced a smile trying to remind himself that if the hiker laughed at him then he wouldn’t get in their business, though his pride was a bit damaged. “I’ve done worse to myself.”

“See?” Elena sighed and rolled her eyes. “Anyway, he isn’t seriously injured so we’re making him walk back to the car.”

The other human nodded. “Well good luck you three.” He glanced down at Allanon’s footwear. “And as a hint, don’t try to climb rocks in sandals okay?”

Allanon snorted under his breath and waited quietly until he rounded the bend in the trail to move on again.

Elena released a lengthy sigh. “Hopefully that is the only person we bump into.”

“I second that.” Pyria frowned. “I’m not sure if we can keep pretending that Allanon isn’t badly hurt.”

Allanon wasn’t sure about that either. With every step he relied more on Pyria’s support, and that in and of itself was beginning to hurt him. The closer he leaned against her the tighter the waistline of his shorts pulled against his skin, and the band was beginning to rub heavily on the burn just inside of his hip. The bandage was soaked with sweat and the rubbing was causing it to loosen and move with the waistband of his shorts, causing him a grating discomfort that increased with every step he took.

Perhaps if it was just the burn on his hip that was being irritated that would be fine, but the burns that he’d hoped were mostly healed were beginning to bother him. Every place where the shorts rubbed on his backside and his tank top rubbed on his side and back were starting to feel as though someone was taking a blade and scraped the edge lightly down his skin.

Pyria adjusted her grip and her arm brushed the two burns that had torn open on his back. He sucked in a quick gasp of air and felt her concern for him washing over him.

“Are you alright?” Pyria’s mouth moved and he assumed that she said the words out loud, but he could only hear the question in his mind.

“Fine.” Allanon blinked his eyes, feeling an intense stinging in the cuts above his right eye. He winced as sweat continued to leak into the wound. He tried to wipe it away, but it was protected by the bandages.

He was so focused on the stinging sensation that he stumbled. He pitched forward and Pyria tried to pull him up, but there was simply no saving him from a fall. He used his good leg to direct himself away from her, not wanting to crush her. Hefell heavily on his right side, Pyria landing on top of him.  

“Allanon!” Pyria pulled herself off of him and brushed her hand over his cheek. “Are you ok? And don’t you dare tell me you’re fine!”

“We need to get him up.” Elena was on her knees next to him as well. “There’s a bench just down the path. We should get him there.”

“I don’t need…….” Allanon rolled to his chest and pushed himself up on his hands. “…..to rest…” He gritted his teeth together as he forced himself back to his knees. A sharp pain shot through his shoulder and his elbow buckled under his weight. Pyria was suddenly there as he slumped forward. She caught him in her arms and he found himself in her embrace. He rested his chin on her shoulder and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to hold back the agony racing through his body.

“You definitely need to rest.” Pyria stated in her firm, yet soft way of speaking. She lightly stroked the back of his neck for a moment letting him work through the pain. “We need to get you to that bench before someone sees us like this. Do you think you could try to walk there?”

Allanon slowly opened his eyes searching for the bench. It wasn’t that far away, butwalking was the last thing he wanted to do at this moment. His right eye teared up as the stinging sensation from the sweat in his cuts turned into a sharp throbbing. “I think so.”

“His shoulder is bleeding again.” Elena remarked. “We’ll have to help him to his feet so he doesn’t put too much weight on it.”

He felt Elena move her arm under his right side, and braced himself for what was to come. Pyria counted down and then at once all three of them moved. He tried not to put too much strain on them as he scrambled back to his feet. Their grip on his top caused the fabric to pull taut and he could feel it tearing open the burns on his back.

A whimper escaped his lips once he reached his feet. He leaned to the side, letting Pyria slip under his arm again. He wanted to take a minute to catch his breath, but he knew that if he did, he might lose any courage he had left to push through the pain. “Let’s go.” He muttered under his breath.

They moved forward again, but his leg was protesting more than before. Every nerve in his leg felt like it had been punctured with knives. His muscles were so tensed from the pain that he was unable to pick up his foot anymore, all he could do was drag himself forward until they reached the bench.

His first instinct was to collapse onto to the stone bench, but he restrained himself, knowing if he wasn’t careful, the gash on his thigh would tear open again, and he wasn’t actually sure how much more pain he could handle. Allanon gently lowered himself so that his good leg rested on the edge of the bench, stretching his bad leg out to the side, which still made the skin around the wound pull tight, causing additional suffering. He leaned his head back trying to breathe through the unrelenting pain.

“I’m going to move the car closer.” Elena’s voice was riddled with concern. She didn’t come directly out and say that she didn’t think he could make it to where it was parked, but it was implied.

“We’ll be fine here.” Pyria nodded in exhaustion. She sat down beside him and rested her hand over his. She watched Elena leave and turned back to him in concern. “Do you think you’ll be able to make it to this…..car?”

Allanon considered his state. He was hurting, and on top of all that he was exhausted from days of little nourishment and not moving at all. “I don‘t know.” The honest answer bothered him the most. He wasn’t comfortable admitting to himself and others that he was reaching his limit. The stinging sensation above his eye sharpened and with frustration, he reached up, forcibly removing the wrapping.

“Allanon, what are you……” Pyria watched him in surprise as he tore the bandage from his forehead and tossed it away as hard as he could.

He usually managed to hold in his emotions, but he was so frustrated by his own weakness. He wiped a shaky palm across his forehead trying to get the sweat out of his cuts. He glanced at Pyria and saw the shocked expression on her face. “Sorry, the sweat was causing it to sting.”

“You could have just told me.” Pyria sighed under her breath and picked up the pack that Elena had left behind. She pulled a fresh towel out. “If you keep rubbing it like that you’re going to make it bleed. Hold still.” She dabbed his forehead, gently cleaning it, and the stinging sensation slowly let up.

“Thank you.” He felt ashamed that he’d allowed his discomfort to show in the form of aggression, and looking her in the eyes after his tantrum seemed impossible, so he studied the ground in front of him.

Silence spread out between them for a few moments and then he felt her hand gently touch his forearm. “Hey, it’s ok to be upset you know.”

Allanon glanced up at her out of the corner of his eyes. “I’m not upset. I’m…….disappointed in myself.”

“For what?” Pyria questioned him.

“For not being on my guard.” He responded. “For allowing myself to get this hurt, for not seeing that the Warlock Lord was still alive, for….”

“Allanon.” Pyria squeezed his arm softly. “Those things, those aren’t your fault. I know you seem to believe that you’re the last Druid and somehow if you don’t know everything then you’re not good enough, but you are just one man. You can’t hold the entire world on your shoulders, and no one should ask you to.”

It was hard to accept the words she was saying. It sounded nice, but it was just a dream. The Druids stood between the forces of evil and the Four Lands. They always had, and now it was just him. Allanon alone carried the responsibility of an entire order, but maybe if he could just close his eyes for a moment, he could believe that. Believe that the world didn’t depend on him, that if he walked away someone else would take his place. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against her shoulder, just closing his eyes for moment and feeling the sense of peace that he seemed to always feel when she touched him.

Pyria wrapped her arms around him in a loose hug, and just held him. The world was quiet save for the sound of the birds in the trees, and if his body didn’t ache so badly he could’ve imagined that everything was exactly as it should be. Peaceful and safe.

“You haven’t passed out on me have you?” Pyria asked, tapping her finger on his shoulder blade.

“Not yet.” Allanon pulled himself up a little straighter. “That’s still a possibility.” He didn’t bother to deny it. “The burns are not making this walk easy.”

Pyria glanced around and turned back to him. “Elena’s not back yet, so I say we have time to treat them. We might as well make the attempt to get you as comfortable as possible.” She leaned back and rolled her eyes. “It’s the one on the inside of your hip again isn’t it?”

Allanon frowned. “Along with the others, but how did you guess.”

“You get this really weird look on your face.” She smiled a little. “Like you just ate something that’s gone off.”

“Do I?”

“Yes. You do. Just like that. That’s the look.” Pyria tried to resist the urge to laugh, but it bubbled up and escaped her lips anyway.

Allanon watched her and found himself smiling in spite of everything. She seemed to almost revert to that innocent young woman she’d been when he’d first met her.

She cleared her throat and smiled back at him. “You know you should do that more often.”

“Do what?” He tried to adjust himself to a more comfortable position and winced.

“Smile.” She caught onto his good shoulder as he swayed a bit too far to the right. “Let’s get you patched up alright?”

* * *

 

Pyria tried to fight against the butterflies that were fluttering about in her stomach. It was the same reaction she had when she’d seen him smile the first time. She wondered if anyone else noticed that sparkle in the depths of his dark brown eyes.

She rolled her shoulders and attempted to clear her mind. As she set to work carefully re-bandaging his shoulder, she couldn’t help but think about what he’d said before. Allanon believed that it was up to him to save the entire world, and she wondered if he just didn’t want to depend on others, or didn’t think he could.

It had to be so lonely, and she was beginning to understand why he pulled away from people and avoided close relationships. It made sense, she supposed, but the way he’d left her still hurt a little.

“Your shoulder should be a little better now.” She got to her feet and looked down at the exhausted Druid. “Here, you should drink something.” She reached into the backpack and pulled out a bottle of water. It was a strange feeling flask, but the principle was still the same. She twisted off the lid and wondered why people would want to use something that made this much noise.

She handed him the bottle and when he took it she noticed how much his hand was shaking. He didn’t seem to want help holding it, so she pretended that she didn’t notice. “You said the burns on your back were bothering you again, right?”

Allanon nodded as he took a long drink from the bottle and both of them jumped as the plastic snapped loudly. He looked down at the container of water with a bewildered expression.

Pyria bit her lower lip to keep from giggling again at his expense and quickly moved around behind him so that he couldn’t see the smile on her face. She gently rolled up his shirt and looked at the burns on his back. Patches of his skin were red with irritation from being rubbed, and one burn that she’d accidentally torn open earlier was leaking fluid again.

“This might sting a little.” She warned him, as she applied the salve as gently as possible. She could tell by the way the muscles in his back tensed that in stung a lot more than just a little, but he made no protest verbally.

She might have been discouraged, but she was beginning to understand that it would take time for him to learn how to be comfortable with showing weakness. The moment they shared when he leaned on her was something small perhaps in most people’s eyes, but she knew that even that simple gesture for him had been one step closer to admitting that he needed help.

She pulled the top back down over his back and moved back around to the front of the bench. “Is that making you feel any better?”

Allanon had placed the water on the bench beside him and was drawing in long, slow breaths. “Yes.” He answered simply, but she didn’t expect too much of a reply anyway.

Pyria moved the backpack closer and got down on her knees in front of Allanon. “You, um, you need to lean back just a little.” She felt a bright red flush cover her face and glanced up at him.

He looked equally as embarrassed and quickly looked away from her. He leaned back a bit more and she carefully folded the edge of his shorts down. She frowned as the gooey skin from the burn stuck to the shorts and pulled off with them.

A hiss of pain escaped Allanon’s lips, and she realized the light bandage she’d placed on his hip had been rubbed up over the burn, cutting into the top of it. “Sorry, sorry.” She muttered quickly cleaning it off as best she could. “It might hurt, but I think we best not re-bandage this for now. I don’t want to risk this repeating.” She slipped the old bandage free, willing away the uncomfortable feelings that swirled about in her chest.

Pyria got to her feet, considering the fact that to treat the agitated burns on his backside it was going to require her to pull his shorts down a great deal further. She noticed that Allanon had closed his eyes and his good hand clung to the edge of bench so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. She sat down on the edge of the bench and placed her hand over his. “Hey, hey. I can tell the pain is really getting to you, but you’re going to be alright, Allanon. Maybe you’d like to try the medicine that Elena left with us.” She fished the small bag from the pack that held the pain pills.

Allanon only bothered to open his left eye and glanced at what she was holding. “I don’t know. I’ve always considered that taking anything that would make you feel better was a simple way to cheat pain. How can you grow as a person if you don’t meet pain head on and learn from it? Whether it be physical or mental.”

She crossed her arms and eyed the Druid in front of her. He seemed to live his life by the code set out before him, and she wondered if it was because his world might unravel if he dared to just enjoy life and stop punishing himself. “That’s a very nice thought, but you still have a way to go and I’m afraid that you’re going to pass out on me.”

“I’m not…..” He hesitated, clearly unsure of promising that he could remain conscious. He released a long sigh and she saw the look of surrender cross his face. It pained her that he felt so powerless. “I suppose one couldn’t hurt, just to ensure that I’m not a burden.”

“You could never be a burden.” Pyria offered him a small smile as she fished one of the strange pills from the bag and handed it to him. “There you are. Now, I need to look at the burns on your….. um,….”

Allanon blushed and nodded. “Fine.” He dropped the pill in his mouth and chewed it slowly. He shuddered from the top of his head to his toes. “That is awful.” He grabbed the water and drained what was left in the noisy container.

She took the moment that he was distracted to work his shorts down low enough to quickly rub the salve over his hip and toned backside. She slipped them back up and sighed feeling pleased with herself. She’d managed to get him to take something for the pain, and patched him up. “Feeling better?”

“It hasn’t taken effect yet.” Allanon’s head drooped a little. “I’m just feeling.......so tired.”

The pill or the agony was speaking for him again. If he could think clearly, he would never admit a weakness in such a vulnerable, broken way. “Elena isn’t back yet, maybe you could rest for little while.”

He nodded heavily and slumped forward into her arms. She moved closer, arranging him so that he was comfortably resting in her lap. She brushed her fingers over the rounded tip of his ear and then stroked through his hair. He seemed to relax at her touch, but she couldn’t tell if that was just her imagination or not. She moved her fingers over his smooth ear tip again marveling in the simplicity of it. She was amused at how strange she found it that his ear just ended and didn't curve up into a point. Obviously she was aware that humans didn't have pointed ears, but she'd never touched a human ear before.

She hoped that Elena found a way to move her transportation closer to them. If not, she wasn’t sure if they’d reach their destination. She leaned down and kissed the side of Allanon's forehead, her lips lightly brushing over his skin. "We'll get there." She assured herself under her breath.

* * *

 

Elena finally arrived at the abandoned lot near the back of the national park. The car bumped over the rocks and ruts in the dirt lot that looked like it had been cleared of plants, but that was the only effort to make it a parking lot. The other lots had defined trails leading to and from them, with gravel lightly sprinkled over a smoothly graded surface. She parked the old car and slipped out of it, feeling a little bad that she’d rattled it so much.

Scanning the surrounding area around the lot, she found the twisting trail that led towards the main hiking path. It shot nearly straight up into the trees in front of her and she could tell from the rocks that jutted out of the pathway it wasn’t as well kept as the main branch. It made sense, after all, the rangers had more important things to do than to make sure every trail was perfectly smooth.

Elena carefully started her way up the trail, knowing it wasn’t going to be easy. There were plenty of dips and rocks to catch your feet, it was narrow with branches from the nearby brush sticking into the path, and it was steep. She was only halfway up and she could already feel her calves protest from the climb. She paused to catch her breath. “I desperately need to get out of that shop, like I used to.”

A brief wave of sadness passed over her, as the memory of her younger days with her husband came to mind. Julian had never been one for adventures, but she would drag him along on every trip she took. After a while, it was Julian that was running her around the country on various vacations, always pulling her away from the work at the shop. Things had been different after he’d passed. She just stopped going out, every trip was just a lonely reminder than Julian was gone.

She ran her fingers over the worn wedding band that still clung to her ring finger. Most people had assured her that she’d find someone to take his place, but she knew she never would. She stumbled over a rock and reminded herself that she needed to pay attention to her surroundings.

Elena reached the top of the pathway feeling winded and worried. They were going to have to guide Allanon down that path and the man could barely walk as it was. She found herself wishing that she had waited for her brother before attempting this, even if wasn’t possible for them to wait.

She spotted Pyria and Allanon on the bench where she’d left them. They looked peaceful in the serene park, and from first glance you would have thought they were just a couple enjoying the stillness. As she approached, Pyria looked up, her expression a mix of worry and relief.

“Were you able to move your car closer?” She asked.

Elena could hear the hesitation in her voice when she used the term car. The poor dears, probably didn’t know the first thing about vehicles. She hoped they weren’t too alarmed by it all. “Yes, but the path I had to use is much worse, but it is shorter.” She pointed to the trail a small distance down from them.

“As long as it’s shorter.” Pyria sighed in relief that Elena wasn’t sure she’d be feeling once they started again. The young elf leaned down closer to Allanon’s ear and spoke softly. “It’s time to go, Allanon.”

Elena would have expected him to open his eyes in response, but instead all the runes she’d seen earlier lit up in a bright red, as if there was fire running through his veins. She didn’t notice her mouth fall open as she watched in wonder.

“He is healing himself.” Pyria whispered quietly. It was clear that this wasn’t the first time she’d seen this, and the tone of fondness in her voice exposed her feelings toward the man.

So many questions raced into her mind, but she knew better than to burden the elf with endless questions she might not be able to answer.

The Druid shifted and pulled himself up to a sitting position, the runes slowly fading back to their original state. “I was able to gather more energy. I’m ready.” He glanced back at Pyria and for a moment the two of them looked into each other’s eyes, before the elf got to her feet and handed Elena the pack.

It was painfully obvious to Elena that the two were attracted to each other, but not just physically. There was a deeper connection there that neither seemed to fully acknowledge. She wanted to just tell them to get over whatever it was that held them back and spend what time they had together and not make the same mistakes that she’d made, but now wasn’t the time or the place. “It’s not going to be easy, but we’ll get you down there.”

She guided them to the path, observing just how bad Allanon’s limp had become. She dropped the pack on the ground. “I’ll come back for this. Right now, Pyria, you’re going to need all the help you can get.” She slipped under Allanon’s other arm and the three of them started down the hill.

* * *

Pyria could feel the strain on her back as they stumbled down the rough path. Allanon was using his bad leg less and less, and it was falling on her and Elena to hold up most of his weight. She firmly placed a hand on his chest to keep him somewhat balanced and she could feel his heart racing.

She took her eyes off the path to glance at her companion. The rate of his heartbeat indicated how hard this was for him right now, but she could also see it in his face. His right eye was squeezed shut and he was biting into his lower lip hard enough to open it up again. She watched as a drop of blood rolled down over his lip and dripped into his beard.

She wanted to wipe the blood off his face and say something comforting, but this was impossible. She knew if she moved her hands it would jeopardize his stability, and right now she was breathing so hard there was no way she could form a full sentence.

“Almost…….there…” She managed to pant, hoping that she was right.

Elena didn’t even nod to confirm what she’d said. Her eyes were riveted on the path in front of them, focused on keeping them from slipping.

Another step and Pyria’s boot slipped on the loose dirt. Her left leg shot forward and Allanon quickly took another step to balance both of them, but his quick step caused him to stumble over a rock jutting out from the path.

His sheer body mass was too much for either of them to hold him up and the three tumbled to their knees. Pyria winced as her knee slammed into the rock.

Allanon gasped loudly several times and she could hear the slightest whimpers catching in his throat.

She could only imagine the amount of pain he was in. It was clear the pain medication had made things better, but it wasn’t enough to withstand continued abuse. “You’re okay, you’re okay.” She rubbed his shoulder worriedly, feeling rather stupid. He was so clearly not okay and saying that he was, wasn’t going to help anything.

“I know you want to rest, but we can’t afford to.” Elena struggled to get herself back into a position to help Allanon back up.

Pyria didn’t need to question her decision. The sun was setting and the pathway before them was becoming covered in shadows. Every passing minute would make visibility more difficult, and this path was dangerous in the daylight. “Come on.” She dug her heels into the dirt, and lifted.  

Allanon struggled to get his good leg underneath him. His gasps were coming faster now, and a wheeze was developing as he breathed in.

“Breathe, Allanon.” Elena told him firmly. “You need to breathe, we can’t have you passing out on us right now.”

Pyria was surprised at how calm the woman was able to make her voice sound. If Allanon hyperventilated himself into unconsciousness there would be no way to get him to the car.

Allanon took a long shaky breath as forcibly as he could. “I…can’t..”

“Don’t speak.” Pyria tapped her hand lightly on his chest. “We’re getting you down this hill.” The two women stepped forward in sync, mostly dragging Allanon with them. The sound of his breathing was rough, and he made no further attempts to block the groans and whimpers from escaping his lips.

They moved as quickly as they dared until they finally stepped into the clearing. Pyria had never been so grateful to see something so foreign as the undamaged car. “We made it.” She announced, just happy to hear the words as they made their way to the car.

Elena stepped forward and opened the door to the backseat. “Climb in here.” She leaned against the side of the car completely exhausted.

Allanon practically collapsed into the back seat, pulling himself in as best he could. His entire body was shaking as he laid there and Pyria wished she could crawl into the back to provide him some form of comfort, but the space was limited.

“We need to get the packs.” Elena closed the back door, sealing Allanon in the car.

Pyria didn’t want to leave him, but she could tell that what he really needed was to rest. He would be fine on his own for a few minutes. “Let’s go.” The two turned and made their way back up the trail.

* * *

Allanon lay in the back seat drifting in and out of consciousness. He felt cramped and uncomfortable, but all of this dulled in comparison to the fatigue he was feeling. The silence was broken by voices and he forced his eyes open again to see the blurry figures of Pyria and Elena climbing into the front of the car.

Their voices sounded like they were miles away and trapped in fog, so he couldn’t even make out the surprised explanations Pyria uttered as the floor shook to life beneath him. His eyes drifted shut again as the strange form of transportation rocked sharply under him and began to move first backwards then forwards.

He felt a cool hand rest on his cheek and knew the touch was Pyria’s. He’d only been with her a few days and still he could recognize her touch, even if he was in a crowded room surrounded by people bumping into him. The light touch of her fingers brought a strange warming comfort to his very soul that no one else could.

“Allanon.”

At first he thought Pyria had called to him. The voice was intense and sharp, as if calling to him while he was poised on the edge of a cliff about to step over the side.

“Allanon.”

It wasn’t Pyria’s voice. It was Bremen. He struggled to open his eyes. He wasn’t in the car anymore, he was back in Paranor, or more accurately, devastated Paranor. Bremen was standing in front of him. His mouth moving as if he was saying something, but he couldn’t hear him.

Darkness bloomed in front of his vision as he slowly started to lose consciousness again. For a heartbeat he swore he saw eyes of fire looking back at him from the fog, but the blackness took over and he passed out.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seeing the city and its buildings, whole and undamaged, is quite the overwhelming experience for Pyria. They finally arrive at Elena’s home, struggling to get Allanon up the stairs to the apartment.

  _Present Time_

Allanon called on the magic that still flowed through his veins. He felt a sharp stab of pain cut through his body, but he fought through it. He had been in worse pain before, and physical pain dulled in comparison to the pain he would feel if he let something happen to his daughter.

Magic exploded from his finger tips with a bright flash of light. He could feel the toll it took on his body. It was as if every tendril of light was tearing his soul into pieces. He forced himself to his feet, holding his ribs and wincing. He was quite certain that at least one of them had been broken.

"He won't stay down for long." He managed to pant, the pain making it difficult to catch his breath. "You must find Wil. He is our last hope."

"I'm not leaving without you." Mareth eyes glittered with emotion as they always did. She was unable to hide what she was feeling at any given moment. It was something beautiful to see, even though life had been so unkind to her, she was somehow able to keep feeling instead of shutting down like so many others.

Allanon caught sight of movement out of the corner of his eye. His enemy was finding his feet. He cupped Mareth’s face in his hands. "Go. Now." He told her. "Find Wil." She couldn’t stay here with him. He wouldn't allow her to die for him. He pushed her toward the stairs and turned to face the Warlock Lord.

"Father you are too weak. He'll kill you." Mareths voice hitched in her throat.

She was right. He would die here. Perhaps he deserved it too. After everything he'd done... the omissions of truth, and centuries he'd stood by watching friends die around him. There had been nothing he could do back then, so maybe in laying down his life for those who lived now, he could find some peace. "I must try to end this now."

"No." Mareths voice was quiet as if barely carrying over the sound of crashing waves.

He hoped Pyria would forgive him for leaving their daughter behind. He hoped she might understand. He summoned the magic up inside him and sent a flash of blue power at the heart of the man before him.

 

* * *

 

 

_Many Years Ago_

Pyria looked out the window in awe as they approached the city limits. She remembers the ruins of great buildings, but seeing them stretching up before her, whole and undamaged, was a completely different experience.

As the car pulled to a stop, Pyria found that she was having trouble catching her breath. She was amazed at the speed of which they traveled in Elena’s car, and surprised at the amount of other cars that flooded the roads.

She found it hard to believe that this was the past. It didn’t seem possible in many ways, and on top of everything else, magic didn’t seem to exist, though many of the sights had felt like magic.

She’d never seen so much light in the darkness. The palace had always been brightly lit, but it could not compare to all of this. She stepped out of the car looking around at the city that encompassed her. It was night, and yet the city was still alive with people moving from one place to another. Calling to each other, dodging loud vehicles, and something was squealing in the distance. The sounds rang in her ears and for half a moment she thought she’d go deaf.

She pulled in a deep breath of excitement and found herself choking on the air. It was acrid and bitter. All at once the smells of the city crashed over her with the same force the sounds had before. She pulled her shirt up over her nose and looked back at Elena. “How do you breathe here?”

“Like normal.” Elena was clearly amused. “The air quality has dropped these last few years, but we’ve adjusted to it.”

Pyria was about to inform her that adjusting to this couldn’t be healthy when the sound of a persistent bell drew her attention. She looked up the street and saw something much larger than a car rolling down the center of the road. “What is that?”

“Oh, that’s the cable car.” Elena checked her watch. “Probably on its last run for the night.”

She watched wide eyed as the large, box-shaped object lumbered down the hilly street with an impressive group of people on board. “I don’t understand this place.” She ran her hands over her headband as a group of humans passed. She’d never felt more foreign and out of place in her life. She’d always wanted to travel to new places, but to be in a place where the buildings grew taller than trees, and the only beings were human, was intimidating.

“I’m surprised that you are so impressed.” Elena remarked as she moved to stand next to her. “When we are told stories of what the future may look like, we visualize far more impressive societies. However, considering the weapons you carry, I have a feeling that the world didn’t progress in a healthy way.”

Pyria turned to the woman next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. The world had been destroyed. History wasn’t even clear on the details. All she knew was that the world had stopped dead, and the world she knew had been born from the ashes. “I don’t think any of us really knows what happened.”

The older woman nodded. “Let’s focus on getting your friend out of my car.” Elena made her way back over to the car and opened up the back door.

Allanon was curled up on the seat fast asleep. He looked comfortable except for the crease on his forehead as if he were deeply troubled even in his dreams.

“Allanon.” Pyria touched his good shoulder lightly. “Allanon, we need to get you out of this car.”

He shifted a little and mumbled something under his breath, but he didn’t acknowledge her attempts to wake him.

“It’s probably the combined fatigue and pain medication.” Elena sighed, and Pyria could hear the exhaustion in her voice. It would be too difficult for the two to manage him like this. “I have something in the shop that will wake him. I’ll be right back.”

Pyria sat down on the edge of the seat and ran her fingers lightly over his cheek. She wished that he looked relaxed, but his own worries and cares ran so deep she wasn’t sure if he ever slept well.

She looked up as a bright light snapped to life in the window. Glowing letters glittered in the shop window and light jumped to life so quickly that it was startling. She told herself that the past was different and all this was still normal, but it was still rather alarming.

Elena emerged from the building a few minutes later with a large blanket in her arms. She placed the blanket on the top of the car and kneeled down next to Allanon. She held a small metal box just under his nose and popped the lid off.

Allanon coughed once and his brown eyes flew open. For a second he looked completely bewildered, but he quickly calmed down. “Are we there?”

“Yes.” Pyria got to her feet wondering what was contained in the box. She assumed it must be a sort of smelling salts though and probably nothing very fancy.

Allanon pulled himself up onto his elbows wincing as he did. She could tell that his body was sore and stiff from the ride and confined space, which would only add to the pain he was already in. He pushed himself up on the palms of his hands, sliding his legs around and out the door,and shakily reached out to her.

She slipped under his arm and pulled him forward enough that Elena could slip under his other arm. They managed to pull him to his feet, and Pyria attempted to pretend she didn’t hear the soft noises of pain under his breath.

“Help me get this blanket over him.” Elena unfolded the blanket rather clumsily with her free hand. “We don’t want everyone to see these injuries. This way, they’ll just assume we’re helping a wasted man home.”

Pyria had never seen Allanon look so offended at her words, and bit her lower lip to keep herself from laughing. They pulled the blanket over the Druid and slowly guided him into the store.

They stepped into the shop and Pyria glanced around at the space. There were strange potted plants covering every piece of window space, and chimes of crystals dangling all over the ceiling. There were many other things that she imaged might have covered a druid abode, with the tomeish looking books, and cases of odd colored stones, and different alternative medications.

“Right around the counter here.” Elena guided them behind the glass counter. There wasn’t much room behind the counter with the three of them, but the real struggle was the stairs rising up in front of them. “There won’t be enough space for the three of us like this. Allanon, can you grab the railing on your good side? I’ll keep you balanced here. Pyria help as much as you can from behind.”

She slipped out from under Allanon’s arm as he grabbed the railing firmly with his right hand. The stairs were narrow and steep, and she was beginning to worry whether they’d actually manage to get him up them.

“Are you ready?” Elena asked the druid.

Allanon’s dark eyes were closed as he took several deep breaths. Just the walk to the store had put him nearly at his limit. “Let’s get this over with.” He opened his eyes and fixed them on the door at the top of the stairs and pulled himself up one step.

Pyria winced at the hiccup of pain that latched in his throat. “We can do this.” She spoke as reassuringly as she could considering all the doubts that were swirling around in her mind. He moved to take another step, but it seemed that his bad leg was not only bleeding again but stiff as well.

She moved in behind him and gently helped him lift his foot up to the next stair. “Let me help you so you don’t have to struggle so much. The less you attempt to use your thigh muscles the better.”

She glanced up at Allanon who looked back over his shoulder at her. She expected the same look of pained expression mixed with the embarrassment of being unable to help himself, but for the first time he actually looked grateful. She should feel pleased, but it simply flooded her with concern. If he was ready to stop being stubborn about his injuries he was probably in a lot more pain than he was letting on.

Their progress was slow. Allanon needed to rest before attempting every step and though Elena and Pyria were tiring with him, no one moved to rush him. They both knew that if he fell they would not be able to get him off the floor again.

As he braced himself for the next step, Pyria rested her hand on his lower back to balance him and keep him from overbalancing backwards. Of course this position left her looking directly at his backside, which granted was a view she certainly didn’t mind. Even the bagginess of the shorts he was wearing couldn’t hide the curve of his taut ass through the fabric.

She once again found herself needing to remind herself that this was no time for such inappropriate thoughts. She forced herself to bring her eyes upward as Allanon pulled himself forward. His hand gripped the railing, taking most of his weight off his bad leg as he moved. She could see the muscles in his arm bulging with the effort and could even make out the vein that ran down his forearm. She slipped back into to her admiration for the man before her. He was built so powerfully, and yet if memory served, he used to move so fluidly.

Her eyes followed his arm down to his hand, that wasn’t part of the pretty view. His burned hand was leaving skin behind on the railing where he was gripping so tightly. The knuckles had crackled open from the strain and were oozing a mixture of puss and blood.

There was no point in trying to get him to ease up on the stress he was putting on his hand. Using his upper body strength was the only way they were actually going to be able to get him up the stairs.

After what seemed like a lifetime, they managed to get inside the apartment. Pyria was almost surprised how fresh the air was inside the small space. She assumed that perhaps it had something to do with the plants that also covered the inside of the space just as much as the shop below.

“Let’s get him to the couch.” Elena steered them to a rather floral looking piece of furniture, helping him lay down on the couch that wasn’t quite big enough for him.

Allanon’s breath was labored, his shirt damp with perspiration,and his right hand was shaking with the effort he’d exerted from climbing the stairs.

Elena wiped the sweat from her forehead and turned to Pyria. “I’ll need to examine his wounds a bit before he cleans up. He also could use some time to rest. In the meantime, you need to take a shower and clean out those cuts on your hands.”

Pyria looked down at her hands in confusion and saw blood welling up on the palms of her hands just below her fingers. For a moment she was confused, but then she remembered that she’d cut her hands attempting to free Allanon from the cave in. It had felt like a lifetime ago after the days she’d spent wondering if they would survive.

“Come, let me show you to the shower.” Elena rested her hand on her forearm and pulled her away from the Druid. She looked back at Allanon over her shoulder not wanting to leave him. “I could wait and help you with patching him up.”

“Don’t be silly.” Elena smiled in a way that seemed to say she knew something. “I just need to make sure nothing is severely damaged. The true patch up will begin after he showers.”

Pyria nodded and tried to pretend she was less worried as she followed Elena to the bathroom. It wasn’t too different from what they had back home, but she let Elena teach her how to use the shower anyway, as they mostly just had baths.

Once Elena left the bathroom she undressed and slipped beneath the warm water. The water felt so good against her skin that she felt some of her worry wash away with all the grime of the past few days. She took her time washing herself off, figuring that Allanon would need all the time he could get to rest.

  


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three get settled in Elena’s apartment, and Pyria and Allanon are finally able to clean up. Allanon struggles to manage by himself, which causes him to depend on Pyria, forcing her feelings for him to the surface.

_Many Years Ago_  

 

The world slowly faded from a bright red blur back into focus. Allanon found his eyes riveted on the small globe at the top of the ceiling that was casting light around the room. It was a strange sort of device, but he told himself that the past was likely much stranger than just this.

His body was throbbing from head to toe, so much so that he didn’t feel the gentle touches of Elena’s fingers on his shoulder right away. He attempted to sit up and winced at the pain shooting through him from the effort. “Elena.”

“Easy does it.” Elena’s voice was calm and soothing. “I see you’ve come around again.”

“Again?”

“Yes, you’ve been in and out. Not very coherent I would add.” Elena stood up and wiped her hands on a dish towel. “Kept muttering something about a Bremen?”

Allanon recalled the vivid dream he had earlier. “It’s possible. He was someone that I knew.” He didn’t recall passing out, but he didn’t see the need to question the woman before him. It was possible that he was just too exhausted to recall.

“You look better than the last couple of times.” Elena leaned over him, scanning his face. “Yes, your eyes appear to be more focused, that is good.”

Allanon pulled himself up just enough to rest his elbow over the arm of the couch so he could look around better. He sucked in a sharp breath as his bruised side came into contact with the arm of the couch.

“Careful.” Elena frowned down at him. “You don’t want to actually break those ribs.” She took a careful seat on the edge of the couch. “So who is this Bremen fellow?”

Talking about his past with strangers was uncomfortable, and pulling up old memories was always painful. “He was a mentor.” He spoke quietly. “He died many years ago.”

“Sorry to hear that, sweetheart.” Elena rested her hand over his good hand for a moment. “Please tell me he wasn’t calling you to the light.”

It was clear that she’d meant it as a joke to lighten the mood, but he didn’t quite follow what was meant in the phrase. “Um, no. He wasn’t.” Though, it did seem like that would have been far more pleasant than the disturbing dream he had.

Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked up to see Pyria standing in the doorway across from them. Her long brown hair was free of its braid and the wet strands draped down over her shoulders. He could just make out the tips of her ears poking through the damp hair. She was wearing some sort of baggy t-shirt and colorful baggy shorts that made her look small and delicate as if the slightest touch might break her.

His mind was taking it all in when he recalled the moment he’d looked into her thoughts in the cave. The feelings of admiration, and something more he’d felt. He recalled the flight of stairs they’d climbed when she’d been admiring his body. Now he could feel the waves of relief and joy rolling off of her at seeing him awake again.

It was moments like these where being able to look into another’s mind became more of curse than a useful tool. He could feel the embarrassment and confusion spiking up inside of him and quickly looked away from her.

“Allanon, how are you feeling?” She asked, her tone clearly laden with worry.

“A bit better than before.” He answered staring at the end of the couch and refusing to look at her. He could feel her sadness at his actions. She was starting to wonder if she’d done something to offend him.

Her disappointment was more bitter on his tongue than the strange pill he’d taken earlier. “I’m just tired.” He didn’t add that he wasn’t sure how to respond to someone who was attracted to him. The whole situation was new and something completely foreign to him.

“Are you able to stand?” Elena asked him.

“I think so.” Allanon answered honestly. He gripped the side of the couch and pulled himself to his feet, fighting the protests of his body. He balanced on his good leg as much as he could, making sure to keep the majority of his weight off his injured one.

“Unfortunately, it would appear you’ve aggravated the burns on your back, your shirt is sticking to them.” Elena leaned around him, scanning his backside and Pyria joined him. “We may have to help you get these off.”

He felt a chill of discomfort run up his spine. “I can manage to undress myself in the very least.” He refused to believe that he would need help with something so simple. He could barely walk on his own and he certainly couldn’t take care of himself, but this one simple task was surely still within his abilities.

“We need to get you cleaned up. These wounds will make showering painful. Do you need some help with that?” Elena questioned again.

Elena was coming from a genuinely caring place, seeing her thoughts about her late husband and caring for him in that way, but he was horrified that she even had to ask. He felt weak and useless, but he refused to allow these emotions to overcome him. “I can handle it.”

Silence fell behind him and could almost feel the two women exchange a glance. “Can we at least help you get your shirt off?” Pyria asked softly. “Those burns on your back are still quite severe.”

Allanon knew the importance of meeting people half way in an argument. No real harm would be done if they removed the shirt he was wearing, and perhaps it would pacify their insistency on helping him. “Go ahead.”

Elena slipped her fingers just below the edge of the tank top and slowly moved it up. It caught on the burn sticking to his skin.

He closed his eyes and locked his jaw together as the skin pulled away with the tank top. He lowered himself enough for her to pull it over his head, swaying forward, and before he could think to catch himself, Pyria’s warm hand was on his chest steadying him.

He glanced down at her hand and then looked into her eyes for the first time since making it into the apartment. He could see the worry for him reflecting back at him. “Thank you.” He muttered.

The reaction was swift. Her eyes almost lit up with their own light, as if the sun had risen behind them. She was relieved that he’d acknowledged her and didn’t seem to be angry. “You don’t have to thank me for helping you. I told you that.”

He felt a strange warm feeling stirring in his chest. It was almost as if the light in her eyes was sparking a fire inside of him. He quickly turned away and cleared his throat. “Where do I wash up?”

“This way.” Pyria slipped under his arm and carefully led him to the bathroom. Once inside she walked him through the use of the shower. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright?”

“Yes.” Allanon stated calmly. He’d always been a master at suppressing emotion and he could say something that he wasn’t sure was true and still sound confident.

This didn’t seem to work on Pyria. She crossed her arms looking unconvinced. “Fine. If you need me, I’m right on the other side of this door.” She slipped out of room and pulled the door shut behind her.

He sighed and carefully hooked his thumbs into the sides of his shorts. He squeezed his eyes shut as he started easing them down over his hips. It felt as though knives were being dragged over his skin, and he vaguely wondered if this was what being skinned alive felt like.

Frustration and pain were working against him. He needed to balance himself, but he also needed both hands to pull the fabric off his injured skin and keep it from rubbing painfully over the raw burn at the front of his hip.

He struggled for a few more moments and finally placed both hands on the wall in front of him, just trying to catch his breath. He was feeling a level of defeat that he was unfamiliar with. The realization that he was too weak and damaged to even remove his pants on his own made him feel sick to his stomach. The frustration welling up inside him made him want to scream or hit something, but that wasn’t the Druid way. He was supposed to have trained to be above feelings like this, but it was all he could do not to drown in them now.

Allanon took a long shaky breath. “Pyria…….help.” The last word was barely a whisper and though she entered the room shortly after he said her name he was fairly certain that she hadn’t heard it.

“Told you you’d need help…..” Pryria stated in a matter of fact way. She paused when she saw the look on his face and rested a hand on his forearm. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I’m obviously not okay. I wish you would stop asking me that.” Allanon hadn’t meant the words to come out so sharply, but the pain and frustration weren’t conducive to hiding how one really felt.

“I’m sorry.” Pyria dropped her hand from his arm and looked down at the floor. “I only ask, because…..because I know you won’t say if you need something.” She muttered so quietly that he could barely pick up on the words. She rolled her shoulders and snapped her head back up to meet his eyes fearlessly. “Looks like you’re finally talking about how you actually feel. That is an improvement.” She looked him and almost smiled a little. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you angry before.”

“I’m not angry.” Allanon snapped back. He closed his eyes trying to calm himself. A Druid shouldn’t succumb to anger over being hurt. He opened his eyes again and looked right back at Pyria. “I am not angry.” He stated slowly.

“Allanon.” Pyria crossed her arms. “You’re upset. It’s written all over your face. Would it kill you to admit it? I won’t judge. Who would judge you? We’re all elves here…..I mean human….I mean……”

The laughter bubbled up in his throat and though he tried to contain it he couldn’t help but chuckle as she fumbled with words. “I’m not angry.” He repeated, but quickly held a hand up to stop her from protesting. “I’m frustrated. That’s all.”

Pyria nodded and for a moment silence stretched out between them. She cleared her throat. “Do you need help getting into the shower?” She asked quietly. “Because we should get you in before I help with the shorts.”

Allanon glanced at the rise of the lip of the tub and fought back the surge of frustration that boiled up as he realized that he would be unable to get into the shower without help. “Probably.” He answered not fully wanting to acknowledge his own weakness.

She slipped under his arm to provide as much support as possible for his bad leg as he stepped into the shower. He noticed the metal railing on the side and took hold of it, using it to pull his injured leg in next. Pyria helped guide his foot over the edge of the tub.

He kept a firm grip on the railing and one hand pushed up against the wall in front of him. He turned more into the corner as Pyria assisted with removing his shorts, swallowing the gasps of pain as they tore free of the burns down his hip and backside.

He heard Pyria turn on the water and felt cold water running over his toes. He closed his eyes wishing he was standing on the shore of a river feeling the water, not exposed and helpless, all but trapped here.

He could feel his entire body starting to tremble and he wasn’t sure if it was the cold water on his feet or exhaustion. He felt the water turn warmer and could sense that Pyria was attempting to determine if it was warm enough, but not so hot as to aggravate his burns. “It’s fine.” He told her as felt the temperature adjust.

She flipped a switch and the water diverted to the pipe above him. The water bounced down over his back and he was tempted to pull away from the fresh stinging sensation it caused.

“When you’re done, let me know. I’ll be just outside.” Pyria said softly as she exited the bathroom.

Allanon grabbed the soap and carefully started washing himself. The progress was slow, as he dare not let go of the railing. He had no delusions that if he fell here, they’d probably have to leave him lying there. No one had the energy left to pick him up.

The water washing over him felt good despite the dreadful stinging sensation of the water running over his numerous burns and cuts. He painstakingly washed his hair, face, neck, and chest before taking a moment to just rest. He tried to be extra careful of the healing cut on his forehead and shoulder, not wanting to disturb the wounds too much.

He looked down at the floor beneath him, watching mud and blood swirl down the drain. There was so much blood. His eyes slowly followed the trails of blood that streamed down his legs. One source must be the cut on the back of his thigh, the other continued up his side to his shoulder.

He reached for the soap again and felt the world spin around him, slumping against the wall while his grip tightened on the railing. Exhaustion from the efforts of moving, coupled with the warm water and blood loss were making his eyes grow heavy.

He glanced down over his body making sure the dirt and dust had been cleaned off his skin. That was enough. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep his wits about him. He turned the water off and felt the chill of the air touching his wet skin. “Pyria?”

It only took a few moment for her to appear. She was looking straight at the wall in front of her in a determined way as she held out a towel to him. “All done?”

Allanon took the towel and started drying himself off. The towel streaked the blood over his skin and he paused in his efforts. Right now the blood was only smeared across his chest, and he didn’t wish to rewash his entire body. Instead he wrapped the towel around his thigh, letting go of the rail for a moment to tie it off just tight enough to let it absorb the blood.

The effort of bending over caused his head to spin even more. “Can you…..” He rapidly blinked his eyes attempting to bring the world back into focus. “Can you hand me two more towels?”

Pyria’s concern for the exhaustion in his voice was rolling off her like waves. She fetched two more towels and made sure to keep looking at the floor. “Why so many towels?”

Allanon tied the second towel over his shoulder, pressing it down against the wound with his chin. He wanted to tie the next towel around his waist, but he was worried that if he let go of the rail again he’d loose his balance.

“My injuries have opened up again.” He held the towel in front of himself. “Could you help me with this?”

Pyria looked up, surprised at the blood smeared across his chest. “That doesn’t look good.” She glanced down at the bottom of the tub seeing the blood pooled around his feet. “Okay, we need to get you patched up right now.” Any embarrassment she had vanished as she snapped into caretaker mode.

* * *

 

Pyria tied the towel around his waist, and fetched a damp wash rag. She could at least clean the blood off so he didn't drip it everywhere. Surely it wasn’t safe to have him bleeding that much, the water must have caused all of the healing scabs to come off.

She cleaned the blood off his legs and then ran the cloth over his abs. She couldn’t help but feel the muscle through the cloth as she worked her way up. She wiped up over his chest removing the streaked blood, her hand gliding over his body, and she found herself wishing that a piece of cloth wasn’t between her hand and his skin.

Her eyes brushed over the places that were scared and new injuries that were sure to become scars too. Even through the rag she could feel the ridges of the scars beneath her fingers. She imagined what it would be like to trail her fingers up over his back, feeling the deeper grooves of the runes carved into his skin, as she pulled him down on top of her. She paused with her hand resting just below his collarbone, looking up at the man before her. Her mind swept away with imaging what it would be like if he felt the same feelings she felt right in this moment. The wild attraction boiling just below the surface of something deeper, that even she couldn’t find words to express.

Allanon was looking down at her directly, no longer attempting to hold the towel in place on his shoulder. His dark eyes were full of wonder. As if he’d seen something for the first time. Something beautiful.

“Allanon?” Pyria held his eyes, feeling her heart flip over in her chest.

“Pyria…..” He said her name so softly that chills raced up and down her spine. He released a deep sigh and suddenly slouched forward, his eyes rolling back as he passed out.

 ****


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally get Allanon patched up and settled into bed. He turns out to be quite the cuddler, like he was back in the cave when sleeping. Brona finds the source that was calling to him.

_Many Years Ago_  

 

Pyria sprang into action, catching Allanon in her arms, struggling to balance him against the side of the shower wall so he didn’t go all the way down. “Elena! Elena, help!”

Her hands slipped on his damp skin as she tried to find a better hold to keep him upright. Now that he was clean again, she could see bruises trailing up the side she’d thought was safe to lay him on, and started wondering how much pain she’d put him in like that. She remembered checking to make sure he hadn’t broken his ribs right at the start, but then his other wounds ended up taking priority. The bruises were everywhere. Light green to dark purple marks kissed his skin, blossoming out from his side and over his body. She didn’t want to put too much pressure in one area with her hands for fear of hurting him more.

She pressed her body against his, effectively keeping him pinned against the wall of the shower. Her relief led her to realizing just how thin her clothing really was. She could feel almost every muscle in Allanon’s body pressing against her. She felt heat flush her face at the feeling of their bodies pressed together. It certainly didn’t help that he was still damp, the feeling made her mind and heart race. His dampness seeped into her shirt making the veil that separated them even thinner.

Elena entered the bathroom and hurriedly moved to the side of the tub. “We need to get him to the bed and patch him up.” She frowned at the bottom of the tub streaked red with his blood. “Sooner the better.”

“Easier said than done.” Pyria panted. “He’s heavy and we’re already exhausted.” She almost whimpered at this last word as she tried to imagine what it would be like to drag Allanon all the way to the bed. She wasn’t sure if it was even possible.

“Let me try some cold water.” Elena turned on the sink and cupped her hands to gather enough water to splash over Allanon’s face.

Allanon’s whole body shivered as he jolted awake, nearly knocking himself and Pyria off balance. “Paranor is falling.” He mumbled as if he was drunk. His dark eyes darting around the room, but it was as if he wasn’t seeing anything that was there.

Pyria would have liked to comfort him, maybe pull him back into reality all the way, but there wasn’t time. “We have to get you to the bed. Come on.” She stepped out of the tub and he stumbled after her.

Elena quickly helped him get his bad leg over the edge and slipped under his other arm. “Blood loss has left him delirious. Dehydration is probably setting in as well. I’m going to get a glass of water and pain killers for him as soon as we get him on the bed.”

The two of them struggled to get him to the bed, and once they were there it was a struggle to get him to lie down. His eyes were still wide with confusion, as though he couldn’t remember where he was. He attempted to pull himself back up and Pyria rested a firm hand on his chest. She could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and hear his breath catching in his throat as he struggled against them.

She cupped his face in her hand, leaning closer to him. “Allanon. Allanon look at me.” She waited until his troubled eyes were focused on her. “It’s me. It’s me.” She spoke softly, but loud enough to hold his attention. “You’re safe. I’ve got you, and nothing is going to happen to you, or the world. Do you trust me?”

Allanon took a long breath and looked directly back at her. The fear seemed to leave his face. “Yes.” He whispered so quietly that she could barely hear it. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply as he drifted back into unconsciousness.

* * *

 

Pyria leaned against the doorway of the bedroom, watching Allanon sleeping in the center of the bed. The pillows had been piled up to cushion him as much as possible. They still had no choice but to lay him on his bruised side, due to his shoulder wound and remaining burns, and she hoped it didn’t bring him too much discomfort.

Elena bundled all the bloody towels together into a basket. “I’ll take these to the wash room before I turn in for the night. It is never a good thing to allow blood to dry.”

“Thank you for letting us stay here.” Pyria rested her hand on Elena’s shoulder. “Allanon has already occupied your bed, and I don’t want you to surrender your couch as well. I have no problem with setting myself up on the floor.”

“Don’t be silly.” Elena shook her head. “I of course will be on the couch, but you will be here with Allanon. He’ll need to be observed during the night, and you don’t need to be on the floor.”

She looked back at Allanon. This wasn’t how she envisioned sharing a bed with him, but it made sense and she was tired of sleeping on hard ground. “Alright.”

There seemed to be a mischievous sparkle in Elena’s eyes as she nodded firmly. “Very good. I’m off to do the laundry. Make yourself at home, and there is no need to wait up for me, dear.”

“Thank you.” Pyria watched Elena head out of the small living space and turned back to Allanon. She made her way over to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it.

He looked peaceful enough, and she hoped that perhaps the nightmares that had haunted him where giving him a reprieve. It seemed to be a usual occurrence, not that it surprised her. After everything he’d been through and the things he must have seen, she supposed that anyone would struggle to rest easy.

He sighed in his sleep and she could hear the waver in his breath. He was starting to shiver. She placed the back of her hand on his forehead, and though it was heated, the temperature wasn’t dangerously high. His body was simply attempting to heal itself.

She pulled back the sheets and slipped underneath them. Caring for Allanon once he’d gotten out of the shower had been difficult. He had been fading in and out of consciousness, and patching up water irritated injuries while trying not to cover the bed in blood hadn’t been easy. Thankfully Elena has been able to get him to drink some water while he was still conscious.

After they’d managed to fully bandage him back up, they’d adjusted Allanon onto his side, pulling the blanket up over his shoulder. Neither of them wanted to attempt putting clothes on him for fear of it being an impossible task or aggravating his injuries further.

Pyria moved closer beneath the covers, wrapping her arms around him. She held him close, feeling the light shivers running through his body. Her mind was sharply aware that she was pressed against a naked man, and not just any naked man, but a man she was strongly attracted to.

Pyria pulled back slightly, just enough to see Allanon’s face clearly. She brushed her hand over his cheek and moved her fingers through his dark, damp hair.

Her pinky finger brushed over the edge of his ear and she looked back at his simple human ears. She ran her pointer finger over the edges of his ear smiling to herself. Her hand glided down over his earlobe and traced the line of his jaw.

She took this moment of silence just to take in how handsome he was. Yes, he was rough around the edges unlike an elf. Elves were blessed with smooth features and were considered the fairest breed of folk, but she couldn’t disagree more as she looked at Allanon.

Her eyes took in his features as if attempting to memorize every detail, her thumb drifted up his chin and over his lower lip. She sighed to herself as she imagined what it would be like to kiss him. She imagined him leaning closer and pressing his lips against hers as she ran her fingers through his hair. She imagined the feel of their tongues intertwining and wondered what he’d taste like. Probably, like the cold north wind, and steel.

She ran her hand back down over his cheek and down his neck. She traced his collarbone up to his shoulder, imagining that every place her fingers touched was a place she would kiss him. She found herself wondering if Allanon had ever had such thoughts about her, or about anyone. He seemed closed off to most normal relationships, but she still had hopes that there was something there. The way he’d looked at her right before he’d passed out, had left her heart on fire. Certainly, under all the layers he felt something too.

Allanon shifted, resting his head on her shoulder and rolling forward just enough to pin her to the bed. She felt heat rush to her face as his body pressed against hers for the second time that day. His arm stretched around her waist and his leg curled over hers.

She knew this was similar to the time they’d laid together in the cave, but this felt different, more intimate. It didn’t help that she was wearing a thin shirt and shorts that made her feel as close to naked as possible without being naked.

She nuzzled the top of his head and closed her eyes, just feeling the curves of his body where he was pressed against her. She traced her fingers lightly over his side, barely applying pressure to his skin. She moved her hand just enough to move her thumb down over his abs. She bit her lower lip and quickly moved her hand back to her side, admonishing herself for doing something like that.

Pyria closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep. Even though her body was weary and it felt like every bone was aching, sleep still didn’t come. Her mind seemed to be completely unable to turn off with Allanon lying on top of her. She attempted to readjust her arm to get more comfortable, wrapping it around him so her hand was on his shoulder blade.

Her finger brushed over a groove and realized that it was the runes that were carved into his back. She moved her hand over enough to feel the deep impression in his skin. Tracing the length of the rune, she pictured the shape in her mind and was pleasantly surprised to find that she knew what this rune stood for.

She moved her hand farther up his back and started softly tracing the other runes. She followed the grooves with her fingers, picturing the markings in her mind. She moved down his back skimming her fingers over his skin, avoiding the large burn on the center of his back and continued down.

Her hand traveled along his spine spiraling downward. There was something calming about softly caressing him that was beginning to lull her to sleep. Her fingers traced over his skin, brushing over his hip and down his backside as far as she could reach. She lightly squeezed his cheek being careful not to apply pressure to his burns. His ass felt as amazing as it looked.

Pyria’s eyes flew wide open as she realized that her hand had ventured far lower than she’d intended. It was innocent to trace runes, but she’d reached too far.

“Pyria? Are you asleep?” Elena’s voice came from the doorway.

Pyria nearly jumped out of her skin and attempted to stifle her gasp of surprise. “Ah, Elena, you startled me.” She quickly pulled her hand back up and tucked it under Allanon’s arm, letting her hand rest on the center of his chest.

“I’m sorry dear, I just wanted to make sure everything was alright before I turned in.” Elena seemed amused and it made Pyria embarrassed.

“Yes, everything is well, thank you.” She mumbled in response, praying that Elena had no idea what had been running through her mind only a few seconds ago.

“Very good. Have a good night.” Elena pulled the door of the bedroom closed behind her as she retreated from the room.

Pyria took a deep breath attempting to calm her racing heart. “You’re not doing that again.” She admonished herself quietly. “Stay on task. You need to make sure that Allanon recovers and then get back to the future.” She told herself, as she adjusted her position a little more, tucking herself even closer to Allnaon. “Feelings have nothing to do with this.” She attempted to affirm to herself as her eyes started to grow heavy with sleep. Perhaps this time she could fall asleep.

* * *

 

Brona sat on the edge of a great ruin. He believed that the rubble at is feet at some point had been a pillar. He’d wondered how the humans hadn’t found the place at first, but it was clear there were magical wards around the ruins concealing them from the pathetic knowledge of the human race. It worked in his favor, as it gave him an excellent place to hide from the men searching the forest for him.

His cold eyes roved over the pieces of rock and marble littering the grass. Some had broken off years ago, but some of it was new. He’d found the creature that had called to him, and bent it to his will. It wasn’t difficult when you promised a creature who thirsted for blood, exactly that. It was the task of directing a demon’s blood lust that made things tricky.

He looked up from the destroyed building, his eyes followed the horizon until they rested on the glow in the distance. The light wasn’t like the sun at all. It was man made. He smirked at the human race enjoying the peak in their existence. Such a weak race was always doomed to fail, to be conquered. History would see them destroyed, so he saw no harm in ensuring their demise. This time it would be on his terms. He would give history a blood bath it would always remember.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allanon and Pyria dream of possible futures, and Pyria discovers Allanon can read minds. They finally begin to open up to one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning!! This chapter gets a bit smutty!

  _Many Years Ago_  

Elena pulled the door closed behind her and leaned back against it. She smiled to herself at how these two interacted. The way they both seemed to acknowledge they felt something and then firmly remain in denial about it.

She wondered what had been going on when she stepped into the room that had caused such a rise out of the elvish girl. Of course it might have just been the fact that the Druid had made himself rather comfortable on top of her.

She couldn’t resist the smile that spread across her face as she made her way back to the pull-out couch. She took a seat on the couch and glanced at the coffee table that held a picture of her and Julian captured in a wooden frame. Looking down at her late husband, Elena ran her thumb over his image as if she could just reach out and touch him. The two strangers reminded her so much of the two of them. The same and yet so different. Drawn to each other like rivers in search of the sea.

Her mind pictured Allanon, how pale he was when they’d pulled him out of the shower. Her mind traveled unbidden to the bitter memories of standing by, watching Julian waste away. Despite all of her knowledge in mystic cures, she was unable to stave off the incurable disease. She swore to herself that Pyria would never taste the same pain that she had. They could save Allanon.

Tomorrow she would need to go shopping for more supplies, and ensure that Allanon was able to intake more water and perhaps a full meal. She should also probably contact her brother. He would be most displeased to discover the newest development in her life, but she was certain he’d come around eventually. She curled up on the couch, tucking the picture up against her chest.

 

* * *

 

Allanon opened his eyes drowsily as he faded back into consciousness. His body was sore and aching from head to foot, but at least he was warm. He buried his face closer to the source of the warmth and realized that he was nuzzling Pyria’s neck.

He pulled back in surprise and looked around him. They must be in the bedroom at Elena’s house and everything was dark. No light peered through the drawn curtains. He wished he could say no sound did, but the city outside the window seemed to be alive with activity.

He became more and more aware of the fact that he wasn’t wearing a single bit of clothing and for a moment he wondered if she was. He glanced down at her and saw the baggy shirt collar about her neck and realized that she was dressed, but these modern clothes must be relatively thin.

The appropriate thing would be to move away, and stop crushing her against the bed. He was certain that it couldn’t be the most comfortable position to be in for her. Still, his mind was cloudy from the day’s trip and the warmth and comfort of the position made it hard for him to consider moving. Instead, he simply laid his head back down on her shoulder and the let the steady rhythm of her heartbeat sing him to sleep.

 

_He was walking toward Paranor. The sky was shrouded in blackened clouds…no it was smoke. The acrid smell of it filled the world around him. He could see it billowing out of the keep before him. He knew what he would find inside, but he couldn’t stop himself from heading for it._

_“Allanon”_

_He stopped mid-step, feeling confused. The voice was soft and gentle and came from behind him, not from the burning keep before him. It sent a warm tingle running up his spine. “Pyria.” He whispered under his breath. He turned just enough to see her standing behind him._

_“You don’t have to go back. Stay with me.” She held her hand out to him, her skin seemed to shine with some sort of inner glow._

_It felt irresponsible to turn his back on something that seemed to keep calling to him, but he was tired. He wanted to rest. He wanted a break from seeing his old life reduced to ashes. He turned and took her hand. It was the wrong choice, riddled in selfishness, but it felt so right._

_The smoke clouds rolled back into a bright blue sky and no longer was he standing across from Paranor, but he was standing on a cliff overlooking the sea. He looked around the sun kissed landscape and back to the woman standing before him._

_She stepped closer to him and rested her free hand on his chest. “Sometimes you just have to let go of what is dead, and focus on what is alive and in front of you.”_

_Allanon looked down at her and her deep ocean colored eyes. “I don’t deserve you.” He told her simply. He had felt her attraction and affection toward him earlier, and he could feel it now. It was raw and beautiful, like a sparkling spring pouring down a mossy cliff._

_“Deserving has nothing to do with feelings. No one can help how they feel, or for who they feel it.” Pyria’s hand drifted up his chest, over his neck, to rest on his cheek. “Do you feel it?”_

_He could feel it. It was the heat in the pit of his stomach, boiling up and exploding into butterflies. It was the chills that raced down his arms at the slightest touch of her fingers. It was the glow deep inside his chest whenever he saw her, so he answered in the only way that he could. “Yes.”_

_The word hung in the air between them. Pyria smiled a little more. “Then why are you holding back?”_

_Allanon felt the last bits of resistance crumble into dust. He leaned forward, closing the distance between them and kissed her mouth. Her lips were soft against his and though he was nervous if felt incredibly right. He moved his hand around her, resting it on the small of her back._

_She pulled away from him just enough to pull him into a warm embrace and for a moment the two stood there on the edge of the cliff in each other’s arms. She rested her head on his chest, looking out over the waves and laughed a little._

_“I know I don’t have much experience in kissing, but you don’t have to laugh.” Allanon kissed the top of her forehead, amazed at how happy he was in this moment._

_“No it’s not that.” Pyria moved just enough to look up at him. “It’s just funny we should share a moment like this here.”_

_Allanon stole another kiss from her lips. “How so?”_

_“Because I’m going to die here.”_

Allanon’s eyes flew open. He looked around the room, his heart slamming against his ribs. Darkness always lurked in his dreams, but this was a strange new way of bleeding into his dreams. He looked down at the woman below him, and was relieved that she was still sleeping.

She looked happy, and he found himself blushing as he remembered his dream. It was such a beautiful image, but it left a haunting aftertaste. He was wanting to actually have a moment like that with her, and he couldn’t stop himself from wanting it as much as he did. Still, it seemed that death was always on his heels. What if the dream had been a warning?

“Allanon.” Pyria sighed under her breath.

Allanon thought he might have woken her up, but it was clear that she’d said his name in her sleep. Her hand resting on his side tightened its grip. He knew better than to look into her dreams, but yet after the dream he had, he couldn’t resist. He reached out, curious to know why she’d said his name.

* * *

 

_Pyria stood in the center of the Druid cave where she’d found Allanon, wringing the moisture out of her hair. The rain was pouring down outside the cave and she listened to the pleasing sound of the splattering drops striking the rocks around the entrance._

_The cave wasn’t damaged, nor was it dim and gloomy. It glowed a soft orange red from the runes in the wall. They seemed to be lit by some sort of unseen fire behind them, lighting and warming the space. She traced her fingers over the marks on the wall. It was so beautiful._

_She looked around, taking in the setting. There were cabinets built into the walls and a bed pushed up against the back of the cave wall, just beyond, the Druid table was covered with a table cloth and had two chairs tucked against its sides. Her mind found this sight to be strange and amusing and yet it felt like it had always been like this._

_Hearing footsteps, she glanced over her shoulder. Allanon was making his way into the cave, his heavy cloak soaked through from the rain outside. “If it keeps raining like this, the desert of Paranor will become a forest.”_

_Pyria smiled as she pictured the desert land she could see from the top of the rise as a green forest, tangled with wild vines, and flowers. “That would be nice.”_

_“Nice.” Allanon shrugged out of his cloak and pulled his gloves off. “I’m not sure about that. Forests attract hunters, and not just the four legged type. A desert doesn’t hold the same draw.” He slipped out of his leather armor, leaving only his undershirt on. “You wanted to live a peaceful life right?” He asked with a small laugh under his breath._

_She laughed with him. “I suppose you’re right.” His undershirt was damp and clung his body, and she couldn’t help but admire the muscles in his arms and chest while he hung the damp cloak on the wall._

_He caught her looking. “What?”_

_“Can’t I admire the view...” She smiled coyly, tracing her fingers along the back of the chair in front of her._

_The corner of Allanon’s mouth tugged up into a smile. He walked over to her and ran his fingers up into her damp hair. “I love coming home to you.”_

_She ran her hands up his hard stomach and over his chest. “I suppose it beats coming home to a rock table.” She teased._

_Allanon slipped his hand around the small of her back, pulling her up against him. He kissed her mouth softly at first. His hand moved around to the back of her neck and pulled her into a deeper kiss._

_Pyria leaned against him, her hands circling around to his back. She tilted her head back and opened her mouth just enough to allow room for him. His tongue slipped over hers as her hands traveled down his back. She gripped the bottom of his undershirt and gave it a tug, untucking it so she could run her fingers over his skin just above his belt._

_He pulled back from her just enough to pull his shirt off. She watched as his abs flexed with the simple movement. Her eyes took in what she could see of his body, trailing over every scar etched into his skin. He paused to fold the shirt and set in on the table and she couldn’t help think how it was so like him, to keep things organized even in moments like these._

_Allanon turned back and scooped her up into his arms. She gasped at the sudden movement and then laughed as he placed her down on the bed. She rocked up onto her elbows, pulling him into another passionate kiss._

_He leaned over her, his hand running up her side, brushing over her left breast and to the strap at her shoulder. He unbuckled it and slid it off. She arched herself up a little more, giving him access to the laces that crisscrossed up her back._

_His mouth was now at her neck, leaving burning, hot kisses on her skin. Each touch seemed to send bolts of lightning through her body. She sighed happily and leaned up enough to catch his earlobe in her mouth, nipping and sucking on it. Wrapping her legs around the back of his thighs, she used him for balance as she traced her hands over his abs. She could feel his muscles tensing as he worked with her laces._

_The last lace was loosened and he slowly moved the corset piece off, exposing her upper body. His mouth now showering her shoulder with light, ticklish kisses, making her shiver even though the room wasn’t cold._

_Anticipation was building excitement in her body, she felt like her insides were on fire. She desperately wanted him to touch her, but instead he pulled back. His hands rested on the bed on either side of her as he looked down over her, his dark eyes taking in what he could see of her before meeting her gaze._

_She could see the same hunger she felt burning in the depths of his eyes, like a fire. “I love you. You know that right?”_

_“Of course I do.” She caressed his cheek gently. “I love you too.” She kissed him, moving her hands over his sides and tracing his belt to the buckle. She worked the latch free and opened up the front of his pants._

_His pushed her back down on the bed his hands racing down over her body, running over her hardened nipples making her sigh into his mouth. His touch was rough and she could feel the callouses on his hands trailing over her much smoother skin. He didn’t pause long as his hands quickly moved to her belt._

_She panted against his lips in excitement as he eased his pants down over his hips, she loosened her grip with her legs just enough to let his pants drop to the floor. She rocked her hips up to help him remove the rest of her clothes._

_He kissed his way back down her neck and over her collarbone. His tongue traced its way around her right nipple causing her to gasp in pleasure. Her hips rocked up of their own accord, running her hands down the runes on his back as he kicked off his boots and pants, climbing all the way onto the bed._

_Slipping her hands under his briefs, she squeezed his taut ass in her hands as she leaned her head back, closing her eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of his mouth on her breast. She felt his hand take hold of her left breast squeezing gently and rubbing her nipple with his thumb._

_Pyria bit her lower lip trying to keep little noises of pleasure at bay. It all felt so good, but she needed more. She needed him inside her. Moving her hand back up, she traced along the edge of his briefs. She slipped her hand down between his legs and gave him a light squeeze._

_His back arched upward and bit down softly on her nipple, causing her to squirm beneath him. “I want you.” She whispered under her breath._

_He didn’t seem to need any additional encouragement. He rocked up on his hand and his eyes glided down her body. His hand followed, caressing the inside of her hip._

_She forcefully tugged his briefs off and hooked her arms back around his waist, pulling him down on top of her. She felt him brush against the inside of her leg and felt his hand slip between them so he could press himself into her. It felt like all the heat in her body was rushing down in-between her legs, and she wasn’t sure if she ever remembered being so turned on………_

Startling awake, her eyes fell open, robbing her of her dream as a sudden loss of heat touched her skin. She looked up only to see Allanon looking down at her. He’d pulled himself up onto his hands breaking their direct contact, and was looking down at her in surprise.

It took her a half a second to remind herself that she was awake and this was not the dream she’d been having, though their position was so similar. Her brain burned with awareness of the places they were still touching. Her dream had left her hot and bothered, that was for sure, and being this close to Allanon wasn’t helpful. “Good morning.” She managed a controlled smile, relieved that he couldn’t see what she was thinking about right now.

“Pyria.” Allanon’s voice wavered, almost as if he was nervous. “Do you…… do you really think about me like that?”

Pyria’s heart seemed to stop beating for a full second. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. His question…..did he……could he… The door of the room opened and he pulled himself into a more upright position as Elena entered the room. Pyria quickly slid out from under him and got to her feet, relieved for the momentary interruption.

“I hope I’m not interrupting.” Elena glanced back and forth between them.

“No. No it’s fine.” Pyria raked her fingers through her messy hair. “I just woke up and you caught me by surprise.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t Elena who’d caught her off guard. What had the question meant? It was like he could see her very dreams.

Elena was making her way over to the bed. “Let’s take a look at those injuries, dear.” She clicked her tongue. “You look a little pale this morning.”

Pyria glanced back at Allanon and saw that Elena had pulled the sheets down over him to get a look at his burns and leg. He’d slumped back down against the bed and though she didn’t want to, she couldn’t stop her eyes from following the slope of his shoulders down over his body to his backside. Vivid images of her dream blossomed in her mind like smoke. For a moment she was back there laying beneath him, and her hands were tracing his spine down to his perfect ass.

Her eyes wandered back up his frame and met his gaze. There was a curious expression on his face, and she realized to her horror that if he could read minds she’d managed to mess this up again. She quickly looked away, willing her face to stop turning red.

She heard the rustle of the sheets as Elena covered him back up. “I’m going to fetch you two something to eat.” Elena moved around the bed and pointed to the closet. “Feel free to change into anything that you’d like. I’ll be right back.”

Pyria quickly made her way over to the closet and grabbed the first few things she could reach. She took the clothes to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She leaned against the door for the moment and closed her eyes. She thought back to when she’d first met Allanon. That knowing look in his eyes, the way he was always able to answer questions before you even formulated the words.

She could feel a knot growing in her stomach. She’d always thought he was simply the wisest man on earth, and though that may be true perhaps, the explanation was simpler than that. He could read minds. She started nervously chewing on the side of her finger as she tried to remember all the texts she had read. There had been hints here and there, but nothing had outright stated that druids could read minds. Of course they would even write their own texts as vaguely as possible. How surprising.

She forced herself to start dressing and pulled on the baggy clothes. “Do humans wear nothing that fits properly?” She frowned to herself as she looked into the mirror. She was wearing a dark purple shirt with some sort of design on the front and it was hanging off her frame instead of holding to it. The shirt wasn’t as bad as the pants, if you could call them that. They fit a bit snugger, but the fact that they cut off at her knees left her wondering if whoever made them ran out of material.

She heard Elena’s voice as the woman had returned to the bedroom, sounding like she was fussing over Allanon again. Pyria wondered if she could lock herself in the bathroom and never emerge again, but the smell of food was tempting. She stared back at her own face in the mirror. “You are the Princess of Arborlorn, you don’t run in fear of anything.” She bit her lower lip. “Or hide in embarrassment.” She added under her breath. She turned back to the door and pulled it open steeling herself to face Allanon.

* * *

 

Allanon shifted against the stack of pillows that Elena had propped him up on. He still felt a bit sleepy as his body was still struggling to recover. The sitting position he’d managed to get to wasn’t very comfortable as he could feel the soft pillows catching on the burns on his back and rear, but it was better than lying there while someone else fed him.

Elena placed a tray on his lap with a bowl of steaming soup on it. “It’s not a traditional breakfast, but it has everything you need in it to rebuild your strength.”

He glanced over at the second tray that held a normal breakfast selection for Pyria. He might have been jealous normally, but right now he was too hungry to care. “Thank you.”

He heard the bathroom door open and looked up to see Pyria standing in the doorway. Her hair still looked a bit disheveled and the rosy color still clung to her cheeks. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her in something this loose fitting before, but she still looked beautiful.

Elena cleared her throat and stepped back away from the bed. “I need to run a few errands for supplies. You two should be fine while I’m gone, just try not to break anything.” She swept out of the room pulling car keys out of her pocket.

Pyria stood motionless just picking at the seam in the sleeve of her shirt. “Are you going to eat?” Allanon asked her, as he carefully ate a spoonful of soup.

She shrugged in an exaggerated way and picked up her tray taking a seat on the end of the bed facing him. “We need to talk.”

Allanon took a few more spoonfuls of soup before he responded. “You want to know if I can read your thoughts.” He could’ve waited for her to ask, but he wanted to get the question out of the way. “I believe I just answered the question.”

Pyria opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again before giving up with a look of anger. She stabbed at the eggs on her plate as if she was driving a sword into a troll, shoving the food into her mouth in such an undignified way it almost caused him to laugh.

She pointed the fork at him and spoke through a mouthful of food, all of her upbringing clearly forgotten in this moment. “Well, you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t do that.”

Allanon felt a little guilty, but his amusement over her rage outweighed it. “I’m sorry. It’s something that comes naturally to me, almost like a habit. I thought you knew. Especially since you had read through a few Druid texts?”

She swallowed hard as more color flushed her cheeks. “Yes, I read quite a few in fact, but there wasn't anything specific that covered mind reading.” She tapped her fork on the side of her plate and chewed on her lower lip for a moment.

He knew that she wanted to ask him something, and the temptation to just reach out and see what she was thinking was strong. He managed to withhold his temptation, forcing himself to tune out her thoughts. “What?”

“Now you choose to stop reading my mind?” Pyria frowned at him, crossing her arms.

“I thought you told me I shouldn’t.” Allanon shrugged. “I admit that I’m bad with social queues, but I always thought _shouldn’t_ meant not to do something.”

“It was sarcasm.” She rolled her eyes, and then caught sight of the smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Which you already knew. Look, I don’t know why you asked me that question before, but whatever you saw or overheard in my head, just forget about it okay.”

Allanon let silence hang between them, slowly eating a few more spoonfuls of soup. He should just forget about what he’d seen in her mind. The life he lived didn’t leave room for romance, but he didn’t want to forget about it. He felt his own sense of self-awareness kicking into overdrive, the simple fact that all he had covering him was a blanket, was enough to make him self-conscious. He stirred the half eaten soup, watching the liquid ripple. “What if I don’t want to forget about it?”

Pyria froze, her grip on the fork tightening. “What?”

Allanon steeled himself to repeat the question. Commonsense told him to stop, but he was feeling warm and happy in his own skin. Maybe a bit drowsy? He was beginning to wonder if Elena had applied more sedatives and pain killers to the soup without his knowledge. “Do you really see me that way……feel about me that way?” He asked her.

Pyria brushed her hair back behind an ear. Her face was still bright red, but there was a sparkle in her eyes that he’d remembered seeing when she was still a girl, but he couldn’t tell for sure. The world was beginning to blur as the medication kicked in. He felt a flare of anger at Elena for doing this to him, and yet he understood her motivations. He’d sensed her worries about him this morning, and there was something deeper underneath it. She’d done something like this before for someone she cared about.

He rapidly blinked his eyes, attempting to stay awake and refocus his mind. He wanted to hear her answer, even if part of him was afraid of what it might be, afraid of his reaction to it. He couldn’t get too attached, but still…..

“Well, Allanon. I see no point in trying to hide the truth, so I’ll be honest with you…..”

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confessions are made, and Elena learns more about Allanon and Pyria. Elena also finally tells her brother that she brought two strangers into her home.

  _Many Years Ago_  

"......after all, with mind reading being a part of this you'd probably be able to tell if I was lying." Pyria said in a tone that suggested she was joking, but she wasn't sure if she was. The idea of him being able to read minds all the time was still something she wasn't comfortable with. She knotted her fingers together in her lap, taking a deep breath to compose herself. "I can't imagine this is the first time a woman has been attracted to you. After all, you are easy on the eyes, in that rugged sort of way." She looked off across the room, her eyes fixing on the wall across from her.

"So yes, I am attracted to you, and I always was, even as a much younger girl." Closing her eyes, she pictured herself all those years ago. She was so young and naive back then. Her affections towards Allanon had been really superficial. She realized now that she hadn't known the man at all back in those days, not the way she was starting to know him now. "I suppose back then it was different." She said out loud. "Now, I've grown and I understand better what pure physical attraction is." She steeled herself to face him. "I'm not sure if that is what this is. I believe it runs deeper than that. I think I might be falling....."

"I don't......not....now......I can't...." Allanon mumbled, cutting her off.

She turned back to him in surprise. "What?" It was then she realized that he was falling asleep. At first she thought he might be passing out, but it was more peacefully than that, like a small child struggling to stay awake. She leaned forward, catching the soup bowl that was tipping to the side dangerously. She placed the bowl on the nightstand feeling a little disappointed. "You should rest."

Allanon didn't respond as he struggled to keep his eyes open, slumping down with sleep all the same. A flash of disappointment and the bitter flash of anger stabbed through her mind. She could see his frustration. Frustrated that Elena had hid a sedative in the soup. She was a little upset herself, more selfishly than anything else. She understood the need to make Allanon rest, but it was disappointing that he'd fallen asleep while she was revealing her heartto him. 

Pyria wondered if the brief peek Allanon had inside her mind was on purpose or accident. "That position can't be comfortable." She couldn't lay him down since he was sitting too far up on the bed, but she could take the rest of the pillows and use them to brace him in a better position. Once he was adjusted, she leaned against the headboard and watched him sleep. "How much of that did you hear? Or understand even?" She mused. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. "It's pointless now to finish I suppose, but perhaps I wouldn't have said it anyway. I'm afraid that I'm falling in love with you, Allanon. It terrifies me because part of me knows that I can't ever truly have you, can I?" She leaned forward and kissed his temple.

 

* * *

 

Elena closed the trunk on her old car, satisfied with what she'd managed to accomplish in a span of a few hours. The vehicle was loaded up with all the medical supplies they would need for at least a week. She made her way back into the driver's seat, glancing back at the rear view mirror. The shop name reflected in the glass and she felt a small sense of loneliness creeping back into her soul. 

She hadn't made trips like this since Julian passed, in fact, she hadn't been to this store since. It was strange when the person at the desk recognized her and asked her if everything was alright. It was a hard question to answer. She started the car and made her way down the road. The radio was on, but to her, all she heard was white noise, as if she was in a vacuum of some type.

 _"Where are we going this time, love?"_ Julian's voice. Always calm and soft. She could hear a tinge of exhaustion in his voice.

 _"To see the sunset over the mountains. You haven't been out of the apartment for weeks."_ Her own voice answered him in her mind.

She could remember the conversation like it was yesterday. She could imagine that if she looked at the passenger seat she would see him there, reclined in the seat, tired, but that sparkle in his eyes that not even this illness could steal from him.

"Fuck." She grumbled under her breath and opened up the wireless connection to her phone, refusing to look to her right. Caring for Allanon was starting to bring up old memories that were better left in the past. "Call Thomas." She told the car, taking a deep breath as she waited for her brother to pick up.

"Morning sis." Thomas' voice sounded tired. "You're never up this early."

Elena glanced at the clock on her dash and smiled. "It is early, isn't it?"

"Yes it is." He answered, then his voice faded and she could hear him speaking to his wife. "Thanks dear, I'll see you after work. Love you."

She felt a flash of bitterness and longing to still have what he did. As much as she loved her brother, she couldn't help but feel isolated when he spoke of his family.

"How are things?"

He sounded guarded, and she could imagine why. "I went back to the park and I brought someone home....... a few someone’s...." She bit her lip at the sound of him choking on the other side of the line. "They aren't murderers, I know what you are thinking."

"They?! You brought people, that you just found, home from the park that is currently housing a murderer?!" Thomas was just about as angry as she thought he would be. "WHY! Why in God's name would you........Elena. Are you in the apartment now?"

"No. I'm on my way back." She informed him. "One of them is hurt."

"Don't go back. It's not safe. I'm calling the police right....."

"Thomas, don't you dare!" She snapped at him, glaring intensely at the dashboard as if he could see her. "They are not the murderers, in fact these two are the first victims of the guy that killed that family. They are not a danger to me. I promise. They needed my help, and I...." She hesitated, knowing that even he had felt the magical disturbance, but unsure if he would believe anyway. "I believe them to be connected in some way to the magical occurrence."

Silence hung in the air, and she heard an exasperated sigh. "Fine, maybe they were, but that doesn't explain by you are taking care of them. Why not just turn them over to the park rangers?"

"Because.... I can't explain over the phone, you'll see when you visit me this weekend." Elena hoped that would be a satisfactory explanation. "Just trust me."

"I'm not waiting till the weekend." Thomas responded quickly. "I'm cancelling work and I'll be there in three hours."

"Thomas, it's not an emergency anymore...."

"Anymore!? Elena, don't argue with me on this. Three hours."

The line went dead and Elena sighed heavily. It looked like she was getting an early visit from her brother. Peace and quiet were what Allanon needed to recover and she had a bad feeling that her brother’s visit would aggravate him more than anything. "Can't be helped now." She told herself as she parked the car outside the apartment.

 

* * *

 

Pyria heard the door of the apartment close and opened her eyes. She'd leaned up against Allanon, resting her cheek on top of his head with her arms loosely draped around him. Cautiously, she untangled herself and slipped out of the bed just as a soft knock echoed on the door of the bedroom. "Come in." 

Elena stepped inside and looked at Allanon. "Good, he fell asleep."

"Yes he did." Pyria attempted to shield the disappointment from her voice. There was no need to get defensive when resting was for his own good. "He might be upset with you when he wakes. You know how he is about taking things to numb the pain."

"I'm beginning to get the basic idea." Elena said the words within a small laugh. "But I think having him in this state will make it much easier to tend to his injuries without causing him pain or embarrassment."

Pyria felt a blush flare up in her face and willed it away. "Right. I noticed that the burns on his hand cracked open while he was eating the soup." She informed Elena as the two of them gathered the fresh supplies that she'd bought.

"Moving his fingers would have agitated the burns." Elena nodded her head understandingly. "Did he not let you feed him?"

"What?" A blush she tried to fight off lit up her entire face. "I...I didn't think that was...." Pyria supposed that would have been logical, but given everything that had happened before the soup and then after, feeding him felt altogether rather intimate. Though in her mind's eye she could picture them curled up on the bed together as she carefully fed him his soup, and the very idea sent another spiral of butterflies whirling about her stomach.

"You two are either too stubborn or too shy." Elena shook her head as she started changing out his shoulder bandage.

Pyria sat down next to Allanon on the bed and chose to hold her tongue. It seemed that Elena had caught on to the attraction she felt for Allanon, but it wasn't that surprising. As hard as she had tried, it wasn't like she'd been very subtle about it despite her best efforts. She gently picked up his damaged hand by the wrist, resting it in her lap on top of a fresh towel. She accepted the small jar from Elena and popped it open. "What is this?"

"Salve for his burns, not too different from the one you made yourself." Elena informed her. "This is just more medicated. It should pull out any infections that might have taken hold."

"Will it work on his other wounds?" She asked, glancing at his shoulder. It had improved immensely since Elena had treated it in the cave, but she could still remember how it looked before, and she couldn't shake the fear that it would return to its previous state.

"I have a different cure for cuts." Elena explained as she unwrapped Allanon's shoulder.

Pyria glanced worriedly at the wound, but it looked fairly normal. She sighed in relief that the blackened flesh hadn't made a reappearance. She turned her focus to his hand, gently rubbing in the medication into the burns. His fingers twitched from the contact and she heard him mumble unintelligibly. "Sorry."

Elena pushed Allanon onto his good shoulder just enough so she could reach the burns on his back. "I just want to let you know that my brother will be here soon."

Pyria turned her attention from Allanon's hand to the older woman. "Your brother? Is that a problem?" She could just make out the hesitancy in her voice.

"Yes, he is a good man and I trust him." Elena returned Pyria's gaze. "He is just not as trusting of others."

"You think he'll have a problem with us being here." Pyria sighed as she understood why Elena was hesitant. "Is he going to throw us out?"

"Heavens no." Elena smiled in her spirited way. "This is my house and he can't tell me who can sleep in it and who cannot. He might just be vocal about it." She focused back on her work. "He's rather protective of me."

"I can understand that." Pyria smiled to herself as she thought of her home. "I have a brother as well." She felt a stab of sorrow in her heart at the thought of him. She'd spent so much time attempting to escape his close watch, and now she wondered if she'd ever see him again.

Elena pulled the sheets back to get a look at the gash on the back of Allanon's thigh and Pyria looked away. Her mind certainly didn't need any more more fuel for her imagination, especially since he had the gift of reading minds. She got to her feet, walking to the window. She pulled the curtain aside a small bit and looked out at the alleyway below them. She couldn't see very much of the strange world outside from here, but every once in a while she caught a glimpse of a car flying by. The speed at which they traveled still filled her with wonder, but it also seemed dangerous.

"What is your history with Allanon?" Elena asked as she worked.

Pyria could hear the curiosity in her voice and knew what she was looking for in her response. She crossed her arms, considering how much to reveal. "We don't have a lot of history. He spent time in the palace I lived at for a couple weeks. At the time, I was just a young girl. I suppose you could say he was the first man I had been attracted to. Of course, he wasn't interested at all. Years and years older than I and with enough life experience to make an old man feel naive." She sighed as she thought about herself at that age, and wondered how foolish she'd appeared to everyone else.

"I spent time helping him research things in the great library. I thought we'd at least become friends, but he left unexpectedly with barely a goodbye. I suppose that makes him my first heartbreak too." Pyria mused. "I tried to find him for years, and by the time I'd figured out where he'd gone and what had happened. I knew that seeking him out would be pointless. So I resolved to let him go, and move on with my life."

"Easier said than done." Elena's voice was understanding. "Some connections are stronger than others and the one you share with Allanon is...."

"Foolish." Pyria interrupted her. "I thought I was over him until my brother, Eventine, spoke his name again." She closed her eyes as she recalled the way all the old emotions had flooded back instantly, as if they had never left. "Even if Allanon shares my feelings he will leave me as soon as the world asks him to."

"Surely he will come back to you." Elena attempted to reason, but she didn't understand.

"He may not be able to." Pyria told her. "If he goes into a druid sleep, it could be years before he wakes, and I will either be old or dead." She didn't like to think of that, but she had to face reality. "I'm sorry, but could we talk about something else? Anything else?"

She heard the bed creak and glanced over her shoulder. Elena had tucked the blankets back over Allanon and was gathering her supplies. "Why don't we have a seat on the couch and let Allanon rest."

Pyria nodded and followed her to the living room. She glanced at the couch, noting the blankets lightly folded and placed to the side of it. "I hope you were comfortable last night."

"I was." Elena made her way to the kitchen as Pyria took a seat on the couch and returned with two steaming cups of tea. "I had a question for you my dear."

"Yes?" Pyria asked, accepting the steaming mug.

"Do you think that Allanon would let me look through some of those books we had to leave at the cave?" Elena asked her.

"Probably." Pyria shrugged. "Druids don't really carry anything personal, and they are most likely just ancient spell tomes."

Elena placed her cup on the table, fetching a small pouch and the hilt of a sword. "I washed your clothes last night and found these rolled up in them. The string was loose on the pouch and some blue stones fell out. Do you know what they are for?"

"No." Pyria fished one out of the bag and turned it over in her hand. "I think they must be some type of magical.........thing?"

Elena picked up another one and smiled. "Yes, I can feel it. They are like my crystals, only... they feel far more powerful than anything I've ever encountered." She placed the stone in the palm of her hand, studying it. A dim light seemed to ignite inside the stone and she dropped it quickly.

"What happened?" Pyria questioned her, both amazed and alarmed at what had just happened.

"I'm not sure. I just concentrated on it and it....it was like a shock of lightening shot up my arm." Elena picked up the stone and placed it back into the bag. "I don't think it is wise for me to mess with something that contains this level of power." 

Pyria frowned at the small rock in her hand. It didn't seem special or powerful to her, but she knew that it probably was. She tucked the stone back into the bag as well, and nodded in agreement.

Elena chewed at her lower lip for a moment in thought. "We should probably head back to the cave and fetch those books, sooner than later, before someone accidentally finds them or your sword. Or worse, if the man who attacked Allanon finds them."

If they were to get back home they might need those spells written inside. "We can't leave Allanon by himself." She frowned as she tried to determine how to go about this. "And with the Warlock Lord lurking out in the woods you shouldn’t go by yourself." Elena had done so much for the two of them, there was no way she was going to allow her to risk herself again.

"Perhaps my brother....." Elena stopped herself as she said the words. "We should probably put this away at least." She picked up the sword hilt and the bag of stones. “He'll be looking for a reason to consider you dangerous." She placed the sword and the elf stones into the drawer of the coffee table.

A chime went off and she glanced down at the black device that Elena had been speaking into when she'd found them the first time. "So what is this thing really?"

Elena picked up the phone and took a deep breath. "This might take some time....."


End file.
